Each Monday throughout the 2025-26 NHL season, ESPN and NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes will provide fans with a guide of games that will be nationally televised. Today, a look at games for the 18th week of the regular season.
Highlights include the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Minnesota Wild on "Prime Monday Night Hockey," and the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning squaring off Thursday, the final day of games before the Olympic break.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Montreal Canadiens at Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Prime, RDS)
This week's "Prime Monday Night Hockey" game is in Minnesota, where the Wild will host the Canadiens. Montreal (31-17-7) cooled off the red-hot Buffalo Sabres with a 4-2 win on Saturday, its third straight victory. People haven’t really been talking about Canadiens forwards Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, but Suzuki has 64 points and is on pace to shatter his career high of 89 (and is also plus-23), and Caufield already has 32 goals, five from his career best. Minnesota (32-14-10) has won three straight, including a 7-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. They have seven players with at least 30 points and that doesn't include Quinn Hughes, who has 29 in 24 games (three goals, 26 assists) since being acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT, TVAS)
A key game in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins (28-14-11) have won six straight entering the week and are closing in on the Carolina Hurricanes for first place. Pittsburgh has scored at least six goals in four of those games, and Evgeni Malkin has points in 10 of 12 since returning from injury. Some bad news for Pittsburgh is that defenseman Kris Letang was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will miss at least four weeks with a foot fracture; the good news is most of that time will be during the Olympic break. The Islanders (30-20-5) enter the week having won three of four and are two points behind the Penguins. We know how good rookie Matthew Schaefer has been, but New York in general has been great defensively, allowing the third-fewest goals per game in the NHL (2.69) with a League-leading eight shutouts.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4
St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT)
It's been a difficult season for the Blues (20-26-9), who have yet to win more than two in a row. Their leading scorer, center Robert Thomas, has not played since Jan. 10 and had procedure on his leg that will keep him out beyond the Olympic break. St. Louis went on a run to make the playoffs last season, but unless the Blues really put together some point streaks, it will be difficult to get back to the postseason. The Stars (32-14-9) have won four in a row and will be trying to defeat the Blues for the third time in 13 days. Jason Robertson, who was left off Team USA’s roster, has 63 points (30 goals, 33 assists) in 55 games this season, tied with Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights for the lead among all U.S.-born players.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNP, SNW, SNO, TVAS)
The Panthers (28-23-3) have lost three straight in regulation and need to turn it around this week. They have three huge divisional games against the Sabres on Monday, the Boston Bruins on Wednesday and the Lightning on Thursday. Matthew Tkachuk has been impactful since his return from injury with six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games, but Florida has really been hit by injuries, including forward Brad Marchand being sidelined again and captain Aleksander Barkov having been out all season. The Lightning (34-14-4) have been rolling, going 16-1-1 in their past 19 games, including a x-x win against/loss to the Bruins in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Sunday, in which captain Victor Hedman returned from injury. These teams also have a combined 18 players representing their countries in the Olympics.
