NHL On Tap: Oilers face Maple Leafs seeking 11th straight win

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 eight games Tuesday.

Edmonton looks for 11th straight win

The Edmonton Oilers are flying high, currently on a franchise-best 10-game winning streak and can extend it when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Place (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, TSN4). Eight of the Oilers' 10 wins on the streak have been on the road and Edmonton will play five of its next six at home. Connor McDavid has at least a point in every win on the streak. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 points) on the 10-game streak and 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in his past 23 games. Edmonton (23-15-1) has a League best 18-3-0 record since Nov. 24 and is in the Stanley Cup Playoff race after sitting in a tie for last in the NHL standings on Nov. 9, following a 3-2 loss at the San Jose Sharks. The Oilers are 20-6-0 since coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Paul Coffey took over from Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson on Nov. 12. The Maple Leafs (21-12-8) have lost three straight (0-2-1) and are playing the first of a four-game road trip, and their third game in four days. Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past six games. He scored in 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Kraken visit Rangers looking to start new streak

Despite the Seattle Kraken's nine-game winning streak ending with a 3-0 loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, there's no denying their merit as a Stanley Cup Playoff contender. They visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, MSG) also coming off a 13-game point streak (11-0-2) which began Dec. 12, two days after the low point of their season following a 3-0 home loss to the Minnesota Wild that left them 8-14-7 and sixth in the Pacific Division. The gauntlet continues for Seattle (19-15-9) at New York for the fifth of a season-long six-game road trip and fourth in a row against the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers' 2-1 victory against the Washington Capitals on Sunday ended a four-game skid (0-3-1) and a 2-5-1 slide since Dec. 29. Artemi Panarin (15) and Vincent Trocheck (14) have combined for 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in their past 10 games for New York (27-13-2), which got Kaapo Kakko back on Sunday after the forward missed 21 games with a lower-body injury. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

Can Kings right the ship?

The Los Angeles Kings (21-11-8) ended their eight-game skid (0-4-4) with a 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. The next step is to get back to stringing wins together, but it will be a challenge playing the Dallas Stars (25-12-5) in the second game of a back-to-back (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+). There were some positives for the Kings on Monday, starting with shutting the game down after they took a 2-1 lead 1:01 into the third, scoring four goals and limiting Carolina to 10 shots on goal in the period. They also have to hope a rested Cam Talbot can get back to being the goalie he was before Christmas, when he had 2.06 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 22 games, rather than the goalie who has a 3.25 GAA and .899 save percentage in losing seven in a row (0-4-3). The Stars are rested, having not played since Saturday, and they've won three of their past four games. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Tuesday games

Seattle Kraken at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, MSG)
 
The Kraken played without injured defenseman and leading scorer Vince Dunn (35 points; eight goals, 27 assists) because of an undisclosed injury, and forwards Andre Burakovsky (lower body) and Matty Beniers (undisclosed) on Monday. All are day to day along with Adam Larsson, Dunn's partner on the top pair who left the game with an illness. Panarin has 27 goals in 42 games; he's never scored more than 32 in the NHL (2019-20 in 69 games).

Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, ALT)

Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to eight games with an assist for the Avalanche (28-13-3) in a 4-3 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. MacKinnon has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) on the streak. Colorado is 9-2-1 in its past 12 games. Ottawa (15-23-0) ended a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Tim Stutzle had four assists in the win for Ottawa. He has 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists) in 38 games.

Anaheim Ducks at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSSD, BSSC, TVAS)

Frank Vatrano has five points (three goals, two assists) on a four-game point streak. The Ducks forward has 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in his past 11 games. Anaheim (15-27-1) won 5-4 in overtime at the Florida Panthers on Monday. Forward Max Pacioretty has three points (one goal, two assists) in six games for the Capitals (20-15-6) since returning from an Achilles injury.

Los Angeles Kings at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+)

Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has scored in two straight games after going seven without a goal, and forward Phillip Danault, who had a goal and two assists Monday, has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak. Stars forward Matt Duchene has goals in three straight games, and forward Jason Robertson has points in five straight (three goals, three assists).

New York Islanders at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSGSN)

The Jets had an eight-game win streak come to an end with a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Winnipeg (28-10-4) had not lost in regulation since Dec. 12. Jets forward Mark Scheifele did not play Saturday and is day to day with a lower-body injury. The Islanders are playing the second game of a back-to-back. New York (19-14-10) was shutout 5-0 at the Minnesota Wild on Monday. Mathew Barzal doesn't have a point in his past two games after having nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his previous five games.

San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, NBCSCA)

The Blackhawks (12-29-2) will look to end a three-game losing streak when they host the Sharks (10-31-3). Chicago is 1-7-1 in its past nine games and 1-3-0 since rookie Connor Bedard sustained a fractured jaw at the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 5. Bedard is expected to be out 6-8 weeks and skated for the first time since the injury Monday. The Sharks are 1-14-0 in their past 15 games.

Arizona Coyotes at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SN1, SCRIPPS)

Nazem Kadri has eight points (four goals, four assists) on a six-game point streak. He has 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in his past 35 games after starting the season with one assist in his first eight games. Calgary (20-18-5) is on a three-game winning streak and can win four straight for the first time this season. Nick Bjugstad scored his second NHL hat trick in a 6-0 win at the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. The Coyotes forward has five points (three goals, two assists) in his past three games. Arizona (21-18-2) is 2-4-0 in its past six games.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, TSN4)

Auston Matthews leads the NHL with 33 goals in 40 games but the center has not scored in his past two. The Maple Leafs forward has 17 goals in his past 17 games. Forward Zach Hyman has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in his past nine games for the Oilers.