NHL On Tap: Horvat gets last Olympic audition when Islanders visit Blackhawks

There are five games on the NHL schedule Tuesday, including one nationally televised in the United States and Canada. Here are five things to watch, along with the complete game schedule.

Horvat's last bid for Olympic spot

Bo Horvat has one last chance to impress Team Canada brass for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 when the New York Islanders visit the Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; CHSN, MSGSN, NHLN) on the eve of the roster being announced. A lower-body injury that sidelined the forward for five games earlier this month might have cost Horvat, who leads the Islanders with 20 goals in 34 games, including one in two games since returning from his injury. New York (21-14-4) will look to rebound from a 4-2 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday after going 2-0-1 in its previous three games. The Blackhawks (14-18-6) have lost seven of eight and are 1-6-0 since center Connor Bedard sustained a shoulder injury at the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12.

Tocchet returns to Vancouver

Rick Tocchet returns to Rogers Arena for the first time as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, who visit the Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SN, NBCSP). The Canucks were 108-65-27 in three seasons under Tocchet, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach in 2023-24 before departing after last season. Philadelphia (19-11-7) is third in the Metropolitan Division and competing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2019-20. Vancouver (16-19-3) is 5-2-0 since trading defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 12 for forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Flyers defeated the Canucks 5-2 in their first meeting this season in Philadelphia on Dec. 22.

Streaking Marchand's 1,000-point ceremony

Brad Marchand will be honored for getting his 1,000th NHL point earlier this season during a ceremony before the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN2, RDS). Marchand, who reached the milestone on Nov. 13, can extend his point streak to nine games; he has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) during his run. Florida (21-15-2) is looking more like the team that won the Stanley Cup the past two seasons; it is 9-3-0 in its past 12 games despite being without injured forwards Aleksander Barkov (knee surgery) and Matthew Tkachuk (surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia). Tkachuk has resumed skating with the Panthers in a noncontact jersey but has not been cleared to play. Montreal (20-12-6) has points in five straight games (3-0-2) and is 1-0-2 so far during its stretch of seven consecutive road games. This will be the Panthers' final game before hosting the New York Rangers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami on Friday (8 p.m. ET; HBO Max, truTV, TNT, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS).

Hurricanes look to extend East lead

The Carolina Hurricanes will try to close out 2025 with a win add to their Eastern Conference lead at the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, SNP, SNW, SNE). Carolina (24-11-3) is going for its third straight win and leads the Detroit Red Wings by two points for first in the East, and the Islanders by five points for first in the Metropolitan Division. Sebastian Aho has four points (one point, three assists) during a three-game point streak for the Hurricanes; Sidney Crosby has four points (one goal, three assists) during a three-game point streak for the Penguins (16-12-9), who will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 1 and 4. Forward Yegor Chinakhov could make his debut with Pittsburgh after being acquired in a trade with Columbus on Monday.

Matthews pursuing Maple Leafs' goals record

Auston Matthews (lower body) will be a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; SNO, MSG). The Maple Leafs captain is five goals away from becoming their all-time leader; Mats Sundin scored 420 goals in 981 games during his 13 seasons with Toronto (1994-2008). Matthews has 416 in 662 games over 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs, including one in two games since the holiday break. Toronto (17-15-6) has points in three straight games (2-0-1); New Jersey (20-16-2) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). Devils forward Jack Hughes has one goal in three games since returning from a finger injury.

The schedule

New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; SNO, MSG)

Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN2, RDS)

Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, SNP, SNW, SNE)

New York Islanders at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; CHSN, MSGSN, NHLN)

Philadelphia Flyers at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SN, NBCSP)