Hockey Night in Canada: 5 Storylines

The "Hockey Night in Canada" doubleheader Saturday features some of the top offensive players in the NHL.

In the first game, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring the League's top offense (33 goals in eight games) into their game against the struggling St. Louis Blues (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN1, FS-MW, NHL.TV) at Scotiabank Arena. The Blues have won once in their first six games (1-3-2). Two-time defending NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers go for their fourth consecutive victory when they play the Nashville Predators at Rogers Place in the second game (10 p.m. ET; CBC, FS-TN, NHL.TV).
Here are five storylines to keep an eye on:

Maple Leafs look to re-ignite offense

Toronto's offense was in high gear until the Pittsburgh Penguins came to town and left with
a 3-0 victory Thursday
, ending its five-game winning streak. Despite being shut out, the Maple Leafs are averaging 4.13 goals per game. Center Auston Matthews leads the NHL with 10 goals and 16 points, and Morgan Rielly leads all defensemen with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists). The Maple Leafs thrive in an up-tempo style, so expect them to try to push the pace and avoid playing a low-scoring, grind-it-out game.

Blues try to find answers for slow start

St. Louis has struggled during the early stages of the season, losing twice in overtime and failing to hold third-period leads three times. At 1-3-2, the Blues are off to their worst start since beginning 1977-78 by losing their first six games. They've been plagued by breakdowns late in games, most notably in the third period at the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, when a St. Louis turnover led to Brendan Gallagher scoring the winning goal with 11 seconds to play in the third period of
a 3-2 victory
. Coach Mike Yeo said afterward that his players lacked urgency, then shuffled his lines and defense pairs at practice the next day. With a trip to their Central Division rival Winnipeg Jets on Monday, the Blues must find their game quickly.

Predators are rolling

Nashville came out of the gate looking like the team that won the Presidents' Trophy last season, winning six of its first seven games (6-1-0). The same things that helped the Predators finish on top in the regular season in 2017-18 -- offensive depth, perhaps the best group of defensemen in the NHL and a solid goalie pairing of Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros -- remain in place, although Rinne left with an injury in the third period of Nashville's 5-3 win at the Calgary Flames on Friday. There is nothing to indicate that the Predators won't be among the best teams in the NHL again this season.

McDavid magic

Edmonton's captain and No. 1 center is off to a spectacular start. McDavid has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in five games while playing for a team that has scored 13 goals. He set a League record by scoring or assisting on each of the Oilers' first nine goals this season, then had two assists in
Edmonton's 3-2 overtime victory
against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. What makes McDavid especially tough for opponents is the fact that he never seems to come off the ice. McDavid leads NHL forwards in average ice time at 23:51 per game. No forward has averaged that much ice time in a full season since Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils in 2011-12 (24:26 per game).

Oilers try to continue good start

After playing regular-season games in three countries during the first 2 1/2 weeks of October, the Oilers are happy to be home. Their overtime victory against the Bruins in the home opener Thursday began a four-game stay at Rogers Place. It's a tough stretch; after facing the Predators, the Oilers play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Thursday. But a good start is essential: Edmonton opened last season by going 3-7-1 and never recovered, finishing 17 points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. That came one year after a 7-1-0 start helped the Oilers reach to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.