NHL On Tap: Tavares, Maple Leafs go for 3rd straight win against Sabres

Welcome to the NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are seven games on the schedule for Friday, including one televised nationally in the United States and two in Canada.

Games of the day

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNO)

The Maple Leafs (20-10-2) will attempt to stretch their winning streak to three straight when they make the two-hour bus trip south to Buffalo to play the Sabres for the second time in six days. The teams met at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday when Toronto erased 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to defeat Buffalo 5-3, led by a hat trick from John Tavares. The Toronto forward, who has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past four games, always has extra motivation at KeyBank Center, where a banner honoring his uncle, also named John Tavares, the all-time leading scorer in National Lacrosse League history, hangs from the rafters. The Sabres (11-17-4) have lost 11 in a row (0-8-3), including a 6-1 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday that came after a visit from owner Terry Pegula. Buffalo is without forward Jordan Greenway, who coach Lindy Ruff said will be out for a "significant amount of time" following surgery for a middle-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MNMT, SN)

The Hurricanes, Capitals and New Jersey Devils have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack in the Metropolitan Division. While Washington (21-8-2) has lost two straight, in the big picture they are 8-4-1 during the 13-game absence of captain Alex Ovechkin, who has been out since Nov. 18 because of a fractured left fibula, and a win would vault them past the Devils and into first place in the division. Forward Tom Wilson has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 13 games without Ovechkin to help fill the offensive void. The Hurricanes (20-10-1) have feasted on Metropolitan Division opponents, going 9-2-1 against their divisional rivals, but have lost four in a row on the road (0-3-1).

New York Rangers at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG)

The Stars (19-12-0) will be battling the Rangers and the flu when they step onto the ice at American Airlines Center. Defensemen Nils Lundkvist and Thomas Harley missed a 5-3 loss against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday because of illness and their availability is in question for Friday. Dallas called up defenseman Alexander Petrovic from Texas of the American Hockey League and he could remain in the lineup. Forward Mason Marchment also is questionable because of an upper-body injury sustained Wednesday. The Rangers (15-15-1), who have lost 11 of their past 14 (3-11-0), could have defenseman Will Borgen in the lineup for the first time since he was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken for forward Kaapo Kakko on Wednesday. New York also could have forward Artemi Panarin back after he practiced Thursday. Panarin has missed two games because of an upper-body injury.

Other games

Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, TSN2, RDS)

The Canadiens (12-16-3) are tied with the Nashville Predators for the fewest road wins (three) in the NHL as they start a back-to-back, home-and-home set with the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Forward Lucas Raymond has 11 goals in his past 13 games for Detroit (13-14-4), after he scored two goals in his first 18.

St. Louis Blues at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, SCRIPPS)

The Blues (15-16-3) will look to rebound after 3-1 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, their fifth loss in seven games (2-4-1). The Panthers (20-11-2) return home after a five-game road trip that saw them win the final two by scoring six goals in each.

Utah Hockey Club at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, Utah16)

Utah (15-11-5) has won three in a row and is 7-1-2 in its past 10. The Wild (20-8-4), could be without defenseman Brock Faber, who left a 6-1 loss to the Panthers on Wednesday after getting hit in the neck by a puck.

Colorado Avalanche at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; Victory+, KTVD, KCOP-13, ALT, SN)

Avalanche (19-15-0) forward Mikko Rantanen has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) during a seven-game point streak, including a goal in a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The Ducks (12-14-4) will try to match their season high with a third straight victory.