Welcome to 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 three games Wednesday.
Surging Lightning back from break
The Tampa Bay Lightning might not have wanted to head out for the All-Star break, given how well they were playing heading into it. The Lightning (27-18-5) have won eight of their past nine games, the lone exception a 2-1 loss at the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 21 and including three 6-3 wins in a row to head into the break. They return to action against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, TVAS) for the start of a four-game road trip that could help solidify their Stanley Cup Playoff positioning. Since the run started, the Lightning have shot up the standings, starting one point out of the second wild card from the Eastern Conference on Jan. 8 -- with three teams between them and that second spot -- but are now third in the Atlantic Division, seven points behind the Florida Panthers and one ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Red Wings. Not that the Rangers (31-16-3) will be an easy foe; they have won their past two games and are atop the Metropolitan Division. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Faber aims to set Wild rookie record
Brock Faber has an opportunity to set a franchise record for most points by a rookie defenseman in a season when the Minnesota Wild (21-23-5) visit the Chicago Blackhawks (14-34-2) at United Center (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN360, TVAS). The 21-year-old has 29 points (four goals, 25 assists) and needs one point to tie the mark set by Filip Kuba in 2000-01 in 75 games (30 points; nine goals, 21 assists). Faber, who was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for January, trails injured Blackhawks center Connor Bedard by four points for the lead among all rookies this season. Bedard hasn't played since Jan. 5 because of a fractured jaw. Chicago, which has been shut out in four of its past six games, is expected to have center Tyler Johnson in the lineup for the first time since sustaining an injury to his right foot in the second period of an 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 31. He has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 35 games this season. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer
Maple Leafs face another test at home
The 2024 All-Star Weekend showed off Toronto, an Original Six city with a passion for hockey. For whatever reason, though, home has not been sweet for the Maple Leafs, who are 11-10-2 at home, 19th in the NHL (.522 points percentage). And now, guess who’s coming to Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS-D, BSSW)? The Dallas Stars, who are 15-5-4 on the road, best in the League, (.708), and are on a four-game winning streak overall. The good news for Toronto: The Maple Leafs have won five straight against the Stars (31-13-6), who will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set on the road after a 2-1 win at the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Wednesday games
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, TVAS)
Nikita Kucherov has 10 points (four goals, six assists) during a four-game point streak. Victor Hedman has 41 assists, making it the eighth season he has hit that mark, tied with Martin St. Louis for the most in Lightning history. Adam Fox, who has 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists), can become the sixth player and only the second defenseman in Rangers history to have 30 assists in each of his first five seasons with New York. The others are Mark Messier, who had six from 1991-92 to 1996-97, Phil Goyette (six from 1963-64 to 1968-69), Artemi Panarin (six from 2019-20 to 2023-24), Reijo Ruotsalainen (five from 1981-82 to 1985-86) and Phil Esposito (five from 1975-76 to 1979-80).
Dallas Stars at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS-D, BSSW)
Matt Duchene has scored in three straight games for the Stars, who are on a six-game point streak (5-0-1). He has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in his past 16 games. Auston Matthews has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) on a seven-game point streak for the Maple Leafs (25-15-8). He leads the NHL with 40 goals.
Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN360, TVAS)
Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his past seven games. Chicago forward Nick Foligno has 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 23 head-to-head NHL games against his younger brother, Wild forward Marcus Foligno, who has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in those games.
