Each Monday throughout the 2023-24 NHL season, NHL.com will provide fans with a guide of games that will be nationally televised that week. Today, a look at games for the 21st week of the season.
In total, 19 games will be carried nationally by ABC, ESPN, TNT, SN and/or TVAS. ABC will air the Florida Panthers at the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Later that night, goalie Miikka Kiprusoff will have his No. 34 retired by the Calgary Flames before they play the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of "Hockey Night in Canada" on Sportsnet.
The Carolina Hurricanes at the Columbus Blue Jackets on HULU and ESPN+ leads a 12-game Thursday, the 21st time the NHL will feature games on a Leap Day (Feb. 29). Every fourth season since 1935-36 has featured at least one game on Feb. 29, except 1951-52 and 1959-60. The 12 games equal the highest total ever on a Leap Day set Feb. 29, 2020.
THURSDAY, FEB. 29
Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks (9 p.m. ET; ESPN): Nathan MacKinnon (96 points; 34 goals, 62 assists) is four points from becoming the fourth Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques player with at least 100 in at least two straight seasons, following Peter Stastny (six, 1980-81 to 1985-86), Michel Goulet (two, 1982-83 to 1983-84) and Joe Sakic (two, 1989-90 to 1990-91). MacKinnon would be the first since the Avalanche relocated to Denver from Quebec for the 1995-96 season.
Blackhawks rookie forward Connor Bedard (40 points; 17 goals, 23 assists), the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, played the 45th game of his NHL career Sunday. MacKinnon had 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) after 45 games of the 2013-14 season, when he won the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year.
Chicago forward Tyler Johnson has scored three goals in two games played on Leap Day, tied for second among active players with Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski and one behind St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn. One goal from Johnson will tie Schenn and retired Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa for most in NHL history.
SATURDAY, MARCH 2
Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+): Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (60 points; 30 goals, 30 assists in 58 games) is on pace for his second consecutive 42-goal season and three points from tying Ray Whitney (227) for 15th in team history.
Red Wings forward Patrick Kane is two points from tying Jean Ratelle (1,267) for 40th in NHL history. He has five goals and seven assists in an eight-game point streak dating to Feb. 10, one from becoming the first Detroit skater with an eight-game run at age 35 or older since Nicklas Lidstrom (four goals, nine assists) from Dec. 22, 2010, to Jan. 4, 2011.
New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; SN, MSG): The Rangers won a team-record 10 consecutive games before losing 4-2 at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. The Maple Leafs begin the week winners of seven in a row. They can win at least eight straight for the sixth time in their history and first since Nov. 22 to Dec. 6, 2003 (8-0-0).
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is 6-0-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average, .951 save percentage and one shutout dating to Feb. 9. He can tie his NHL career high of seven in a row set from Jan. 31 to Feb. 22, 2020, and equaled from Dec. 31, 2021, to Jan. 24, 2022, when he starts against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Three different goalies in team history have won at least eight consecutive games (Mike Richter, 11 in 1996-97 and eight in 1993-94; Dave Kerr, 10 in 1939-40; John Davidson, 10 in 1979-80).
Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews' 52 goals lead the NHL and has two of Toronto's four hat tricks during the seven-game run (Tyler Bertuzzi, Feb. 24; Bobby McMann, Feb. 13). He's on pace for 75 goals and has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in eight games against Shesterkin.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, SN360, SN1, CITY, TVAS-D, SN-PIT): The Flames will retire Miikka Kiprusoff's No. 34. The goalie's 576 games, 305 wins and 41 shutouts are first in Calgary/Atlanta Flames history while helping them to within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2004. Kiprusoff, the 2006 Vezina Trophy winner voted as best goalie in the NHL, will join Mike Vernon (No. 30) as the second goalie to have his number retired by the Flames and the fourth player with Jarome Iginla (No. 12) and Lanny McDonald (No. 9).
OTHER NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES
MONDAY
Ottawa Senators at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, SN, TVAS)
New York Islanders at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, MSGSN, BSSW)
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers (9:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN1, SNW, BSW)
TUESDAY
Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNP, SNO, SNE)
WEDNESDAY
Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, BSOH, MSG)
St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers (8:30 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, TVAS)
THURSDAY
Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+)
Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, BSW)
FRIDAY
New Jersey Devils at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, MSGSN, BSW)
SATURDAY
Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+)
Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; SN1, NBCSP, TVAS2)
Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; CBC, BSSUN, CITY, TVAS)
SUNDAY
Arizona Coyotes at Washington Capitals (1 p.m. ET; SN1, SCRIPPS, MNMT)
New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings (3:30 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, SN360, TVAS)
Pittsburgh Penguins at Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, SN-PIT)
