NHL On Tap: Hellebuyck leads Jets into Los Angeles

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 five games Wednesday.

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Hellebuyck aims to extend personal winning streak to four

A four-game winning streak for the Winnipeg Jets (16-9-2) ended with a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Tuesday. Less than 24 hours later, they'll attempt to get back on track behind goalie Connor Hellebuyck against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, TSN3, TVAS). Backup Laurent Brossoit made 30 saves against the Sharks and couldn't be blamed for William Eklund's third-period winner. Now it's Hellebuyck's turn, and he'll attempt to extend a personal three-game winning streak (76 saves on 81 shots), a run that has him in a three-way tie for second in the NHL with 13 victories, one behind Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks and Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings (16-5-4) set an NHL record with 11 road wins to start a season but are 5-4-3 on home ice. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Devils aim to mirror road success at "The Rock"

A 3-1-0 western road trip was exactly what the New Jersey Devils needed to continue to get back on the winning path this season. They'll steady themselves with win against the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center (7:30 p.m.; MAX, MSGSN, TNT). The Devils (14-11-1) left for Vancouver after a 6-3 home loss to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 1 that ended a three-game winning streak. They won 6-5 against the Canucks, 2-1 against the Seattle Kraken and 4-2 against the Calgary Flames in five nights. They ran out of steam in a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, their fourth game in six nights after a cross-continent flight. In the big picture it was a good road trip, but the Devils now need to make their home ice a true advantage. Heck, they need to take advantage of their home ice. They're 5-6-0 at Prudential Center, with just two wins in six home games (2-4-0) since Nov. 10. The Bruins (18-5-3) have won four of five since a three-game losing streak. They're one of the best teams in the NHL coming off a 5-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. This is a national TV game. The Devils get the spotlight against a top team and a chance to stay on the winning path. It's a big one for the home team at "The Rock." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Sabres try to build their game at Colorado

This is supposed to be the season the Buffalo Sabres finally end their Stanley Cup Playoff drought, now 12 seasons, the longest in the NHL. It doesn't look good. Buffalo (12-14-3) is seventh in the tough Atlantic Division, but after losing four in a row in regulation, the Sabres are 2-0-1 in their past three entering their game at the Colorado Avalanche (10 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, ALT, SN). And although they have to leapfrog six teams, they're only four points behind the Washington Capitals for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. Captain Kyle Okposo said the Sabres now have a template of how they need to play and can build off of it. The Avalanche (17-9-2) aren't invincible. They're first in the Central but 2-3-2 in their past seven. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Wednesday games

Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, SN, SN-PIT)

The Penguins (12-12-3) ended an 0-2-2 slide with a 4-2 win against the Coyotes on Tuesday, when Jeff Carter and Jake Guentzel each scored twice. The Canadiens (12-13-3) are 1-6-1 in their past eight home games.

Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MSGSN, TNT)

David Pastrnak has 13 multipoint games this season, including two goals and an assist Saturday. The Bruins are 8-3-2 on the road and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk's next goal will be the 100th of his NHL career. The Devils play six of their next seven games at home. Center Jack Hughes is three from 100 goals since New Jersey chose him with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He has 97 in 265 games and could be the fastest in franchise history to reach the milestone behind Wilf Paiement's 228 for the Colorado Rockies.

Anaheim Ducks at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, BSSD, BSSC)

Bo Horvat has 11 points (five goals, six assists) on a seven-game point streak for the Islanders (13-7-7), who have won three in a row and are 5-0-1 in their past six games. The Ducks (10-17-0) have lost three straight and 11 of 12 (1-11-0).

Buffalo Sabres at Colorado Avalanche (10 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, ALT, SN)

Sabres forward Tage Thompson has a goal and two assists in four games since returning from an upper-body injury Dec. 5 and nine points (five goals, four assists) in eight games against the Avalanche. JJ Peterka has 12 goals in 29 games for Buffalo, matching his total in 77 games last season. Nathan MacKinnon has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) on a 12-game point streak for Colorado. He also has 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) on a 14-game point streak at home. 

Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, TSN3, TVAS)

The two teams will play for the second time since the Jets traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings on June 27 or forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Kings won 5-1 in Winnipeg on Oct. 17, when Vilardi sprained the MCL of his right knee during a collision with the Kings forward Blake Lizotte. Vilardi has two points (one goal, one assist) in six games since returning Nov. 30. Dubois has gone six in a row without a point.