NHL On Tap: Kings host Oilers looking to climb in Western Conference race

There are 12 games on the NHL schedule for Thursday, including two nationally televised in the United States. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Pacific heights

The Los Angeles Kings play the second half of a back to back against the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNW) trying to stay within striking distance of a Stanley Cup Playoff position. Forward Artemi Panarin had two assists in his Kings debut Wednesday, a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and can become the fourth player with multiple points in each of his first two games with Los Angeles, joining Wayne Gretzky, Anze Kopitar and Bob Berry). The Kings (23-20-14), who trail the Seattle Kraken by three points for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference, will try to end a four-game losing streak (0-3-1). The Oilers (28-23-8), who lost 6-5 at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday for their fourth straight defeat, are third in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Ducks and six behind the first-place Golden Knights. Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl is one goal from his eighth consecutive 30-goal season in the NHL.

Red, White and Blueshirts

The New York Rangers return from the break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 to play the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET; ESPN), marking the return of gold-medal winning forwards J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, coach Mike Sullivan and assistant David Quinn from Team USA. Center Mika Zibanejad, who played for seventh-place Team Sweden, has a team-leading 23 goals for the Rangers (22-29-6), who have lost four straight. The Flyers (25-21-11) play the second half of a back to back, coming off a 3-1 loss at the Washington Capitals, their sixth in seven games (1-5-2).

Conference call

The two best teams in the Eastern Conference face off when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, FDSNSO). Center Brayden Point had three points (two goals, one assist) in his return from an undisclosed injury that prevented him from playing for Team Canada in the Olympics, and forward Nikita Kucherov got his 700th NHL assist to help the Lightning (38-14-4) to their sixth consecutive win, a 4-2 triumph against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin is back with the Hurricanes (36-15-6) after winning Olympic gold, joining centers Seth Jarvis (Canada) and Sebastian Aho (bronze medal with Team Finland). Carolina has points in 10 straight games (8-0-2), its longest streak since a 17-game stretch (15-0-2) from Jan. 12-Feb. 1, 2023.

Grand Central

The Colorado Avalanche (38-9-9) lead the NHL with 85 points and a .759 points percentage. Seven points behind them in the Central Division are the third-place Minnesota Wild (34-14-10) with the rivals facing off at Ball Arena (9 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, KUSA, KTVD, ALT, SNP, TVAS). The Wild, who entered the Olympic break with five wins in a row, are led by defenseman Quinn Hughes, who won gold with the U.S. and is riding a 10-game point and assist streak (two goals, 16 assistrs), one behind Mark Howe (11 games for the 1979-80 Hartford Whalers) for the second longest at the position in their first season with an NHL team behind Steve Duchesne (15 for the 1992-93 Quebec Nordiques). The Avalanche, 3-1-0 in their past four games, have held first place in the League for 94 consecutive game days and will likely center Nathan MacKinnon available; the center was not in the lineup for a 4-2 win at the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday after playing for Canada in its 2-1 overtime loss to the United States in the gold medal game. He leads the NHL in goal scoring with 40 in 55 games, his fourth 40-goal campaign in his 13-year League career.

Medal band

The Florida Panthers (29-25-3) resume their defense of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships when they host the Maple Leafs (27-22-9) at Amerant Bank Arena (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN4, TVAS), trailing the Boston Bruins by eight points for the second wild card from the East with one win in their past six games (1-5-0). The Panthers return 10 skaters from the Olympics, including forward Matthew Tkachuk, who won a gold medal with Team USA, and Canada forwards Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart. The Maple Leafs (27-22-9) won three in a row before the break until their loss at Tampa Bay and are two points ahead of Florida.

The schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NESN, SNO)

New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSGSN)

Detroit Red Wings at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FDSNDET)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN4, TVAS)

New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSG, SNW, SNE)

Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, FDSNSO)

Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers (8 p.m. ET; ESPN)

Seattle Kraken at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, KHN/Prime, KONG)

Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, CHSN)

Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, KUSA, KTVD, ALT, SNP, TVAS)

Calgary Flames at San Jose Sharks (10 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SN1)

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNW)