'Hockey Night in Canada': 5 Storylines

John Tavares will play his former team for the first time when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN1, MSG+, ESPN+, NHL.TV) in the first game of a "Hockey Night in Canada" doubleheader.
Tavares, who played his first nine seasons with the Islanders after they selected him No. 1 in the 2009 NHL Draft, signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with Toronto as a free agent July 1.

In the second game, the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks at Scotiabank Saddledome (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, SN1, SN360, CITY, NHL.TV). Each team is coming off a road win in its first game after the holiday break.
Here are 5 storylines to keep an eye on:

Tavares: past vs. present

Tavares grew up rooting for the Maple Leafs and opted to go home to Toronto when he became an unrestricted free agent. It's sure to be a bit odd for the 28-year-old, who was Islanders captain from 2013-18. After scoring twice in a 4-1 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, Tavares leads the Maple Leafs and is tied for second in the NHL with 26 goals (Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has 29; and Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres has 26). That puts Tavares well on his way to exceeding his NHL career-high of 38 goals, set in 2014-15.

Maple Leafs are more than Tavares

Tavares is part of one of the NHL's most dynamic offenses. Forward Mitchell Marner leads Toronto with 53 points (13 goals, 40 assists), center Auston Matthews has 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) in 24 games, and Morgan Rielly leads NHL defensemen with 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists). Six Toronto players have scored at least 10 goals and six have at least 25 points. Toronto (26-10-2) is second in the NHL with 144 goals in 38 games, second in goal differential at plus-39, and has won five in a row. The only team ahead of the Maple Leafs in scoring (157 goals) and goal differential (plus-46) is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who lead Toronto by six points for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Islanders hanging in playoff race

Not much was expected from the Islanders this season after losing their best player. But with former Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello now running the front office and Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz in charge on the ice, New York (19-13-4) has been better than expected. Trotz has brought the kind of structure the Islanders didn't have last season. They've gone from trying to win by playing run-and-gun hockey to relying on good positioning, making smart plays, and solid goaltending from Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner. New York, which is 5-1-0 in its past six games after a 6-3 home win against the Ottawa Senators on Friday, also has gotten useful play from two forwards who played for Toronto last season. Matt Martin returned in a trade after two seasons with the Maple Leafs and stepped into his old role on a solid fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, and free agent Leo Komarov has been helpful on the ice and in the dressing room.

Rittich doing job for Flames

Calgary (23-12-3) is 8-3-1 this month, and much of that success has come with David Rittich in net. The 26-year-old goalie is 12-4-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Mike Smith, who began the season as the starter, has battled injuries and inconsistency; his numbers (11-8-1, 2.99 GAA, .888 save percentage) are poorer than Rittich's. Coach Bill Peters has given an increasing amount of starts to Rittich, including five of the past six games and 35 saves in a 4-1 win at the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Goaltending was a big reason the Flames missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, and Rittich is a big reason they're leading the division.

Pettersson producing for Canucks

Vancouver center Elias Pettersson continues to run away with the rookie scoring race. The 20-year-old leads NHL rookies in goals (18; no one else has more than 10), assists (20) and points (38). He's given the Canucks (18-18-4) a spark offensively and is a threat to score or set up a goal anytime he's on the ice. Pettersson has a two five-point games and six game-winning goals, and he's shown no signs of slowing down as the season nears the midway point. Pettersson had five points (three goals, two assists) in a season-opening home-and-home series against the Flames. He, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser are three talented forwards the Canucks will build around.