NHL On Tap: Golden Knights look to sweep Wild, extend winning streak

Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from the six games Wednesday.

Another Wild (K)night in Vegas?

It won't be easy for the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild to improve on their thriller Monday, when Vegas rallied from down 2-1 and 4-2 to tie Minnesota in the last minute of regulation, then win 5-4 in overtime. But the second in their two-game set Wednesday (10 p.m. ET, ATTSN-RM, FS-WI, FS-N+, NHL.TV) gives the Wild a chance to shake off that disappointment and jump back into a tie for first in the Honda West Division with the Golden Knights -- or fall further behind them. Locking Vegas forward Mark Stone in the dressing room would be a good start for Minnesota; Stone assisted on all five goals Monday, putting him over his point-a-game pace through 18 games with a team-leading 22 points (four goals, 18 assists). The Wild's six-game winning streak ended as they were unable to close it out late against an opponent that has won three straight and is 9-2-1 at home. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

Chara returns to Boston

Zdeno Chara will play in Boston as a visitor for the first time since March 16, 2006, when the Washington Capitals 43-year-old defenseman was two days short of his 29th birthday and playing for the Ottawa Senators. Chara's return to TD Garden with the Capitals to face his old team, the Boston Bruins, on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN) is one of those circled games on the calendar. His legacy after 14 seasons with the Bruins is as secure as any of the great Boston athletes in history. While his return won't be met with the fanfare it deserves considering there won't be any fans in the building, that Chara is back in Boston wearing a Capitals' sweater is a must-watch event. It's bigger because the Bruins and Capitals are battling for first in the MassMutual East Division. They split their first two games in Washington, with the Capitals winning 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 30 and the Bruins winning 5-3 on Feb. 1, when Chara scored against his former team. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Oilers in need of a rebound

The Edmonton Oilers will host the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third straight game Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, SN, TVAS, NHL.TV). The Oilers are reeling from shutout losses of 4-0 on Saturday and 3-0 Monday in the first two games. Edmonton had hoped to cut into Toronto's lead in the Scotia North Division but the League-leading Maple Leafs (17-4-2) now have 36 points and a .783 points percentage. More impressive for Toronto, they defeated Edmonton twice without No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen (lower-body injury) and forward Auston Matthews (wrist injury), who leads the NHL with 18 goals. Oilers center Connor McDavid, who leads the NHL with 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 24 games, is likely to be motivated after being held pointless in consecutive games for the first time this season. In the bigger picture, if the Oilers have any designs on keeping the Maple Leafs within reach, now is the time because there will be only two more opportunities head-to-head after Wednesday, games in Toronto on March 27 and 29. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer

Wednesday schedule

Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
The Capitals look to extend their winning streak to four when they visit the Bruins, who are 5-1-0 at home this season. Washington forward Evgeny Kuznetsov will return to the lineup after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers, 8 p.m. ET (SN, TVAS, NHL.TV)
Toronto is second in the NHL on the power play (31.9 percent) and 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) in five games against Edmonton.
St. Louis Blues at Anaheim Ducks, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN, PRIME, FS-SD, NHL.TV)
The Blues are 3-0-0 against the Ducks after a 5-4 win Monday and St. Louis forward Zach Sanford has four points (three goals, one assist) in the season series.
Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET (ATTSN-RM, FS-WI, FS-N+, NHL.TV)
The Wild have allowed more than three goals in four games this season after their 5-4 overtime loss to the Golden Knights on Monday.
Arizona Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. ET (FS-W, FS-A PLUS, NHL.TV)
The Kings have lost two straight (0-1-1) after a six-game winning streak and are 2-0-0 against the Coyotes this season.
Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+, NBCSCA, ALT, NHL.TV)
Forward Evander Kane has scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in a four-game point streak for the Sharks, who defeated the Avalanche 6-2 on Monday.