NHL On Tap: Kane in sight of U.S.-born scoring mark for Red Wings

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

Kane closing in

Patrick Kane can do it Friday. The Detroit Red Wings forward needs four points to pass Mike Modano for the most points by a United States-born player in NHL history. Kane has 1,371 points (500 goals, 871 assists) in 1,335 games. Modano had 1,374 points (561 goals, 813 assists) in 1,499 games. The big moment can come when the Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, NHLN, NBCSCA, SNP, SNW). Kane has one three-point game this season (Oct. 11 against the Toronto Maple Leafs) and 113 in his career, 10 more than Modano had. The Red Wings (28-16-4) also will be trying to get back into the win column after their four-game winning streak ended in a 3-0 loss at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. The Sharks (24-19-3) won't make it easy. They've won four of five and seven of nine, including a 3-2 victory at the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

Dozen get better

The Tampa Bay Lightning can set a team record with their 12th consecutive win by defeating the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center (8 p.m. ET; The Spot, FDSNMW). The Lightning (29-13-3) won their 11th straight game Tuesday, 2-1 in a shootout at the Pittsburgh Penguins, matching a run from Jan. 29-Feb. 17, 2020. Tampa Bay has outscored its opponents 51-26 during the streak, a huge reason why they have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Blues (18-21-8) are hoping to build off a 3-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, but they won't have center and leading scorer Robert Thomas (33 points; 11 goals, 22 assists), who is on injured reserve and is out at least two weeks because of a lower-body injury.

Ready Orr not

Brent Burns, with 269 NHL goals, is one from tying Hall of Famer Bobby Orr for eighth all-time among NHL defensemen. Never mind that Orr scored 270 in 657 games and Burns has played in 1,542 games; it's still some pretty good company for the Colorado Avalanche 40-year-old defensemen. He can tie Orr when the Avalanche (33-4-8) look to extend their home point streak to start the season to 23 games against the Nashville Predators (22-20-4) at Ball Arena (9 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KTVD, ALT, SNE (JIP), SN360, TVAS). Colorado is 19-0-3 at home this season, tied for the fifth-longest such run in League history. Burns has eight goals in 45 games this season, already two more than he had in 82 games with the Hurricanes last season. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is also in the spotlight: The center is four points from becoming the 70th player in NHL history with at least 1,100 points. But the Predators haven't been making it easy on opponents of late with three wins in their past four games and a 9-4-0 mark in their past 13.

Cane they tame Cats?

The Hurricanes haven't quite exacted revenge on the Florida Panthers after being knocked out of the Eastern Conference Final in five games last season, the Panthers on the way to their second straight Stanley Cup title. In two games so far this season, Carolina has been defeated twice by Florida, 4-3 in a shootout Dec. 19 and 5-2 four days later, blowing a multigoal lead each time. Now comes another chance at Lenovo Center (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SCRIPPS, SNO, TVAS). The Hurricanes have lost two straight (0-1-1) following a four-game winning streak; the Panthers are 3-3-1 in their past seven. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky can move into sole possession of third place for NHL career road wins; he has 206, tied with Ed Belfour, behind Martin Brodeur (310) and Marc-Andre Fleury (246). Carolina should have defenseman Jaccob Slavin back in the lineup after he missed a 3-0 loss at St. Louis on Tuesday because of injury rehab protocol.

No crowning around in Cali

After ending a nine-game losing streak (0-8-1) with a 3-1 victory against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks will try to repeat that effort when they visit the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena in the first of a back-to-back set between the SoCal rivals (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, Victory+, KCOP-13, SNE (JIP), SNP, SNW, SNO); they will play again at Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday. But first it's a matchup in downtown L.A. with the Ducks (22-21-3) also looking for a better result than the last time they were in the Kings' home arena, a 6-1 loss Dec. 27. That was a rare dominant home game for Los Angeles (19-16-11), which has lost the first two games on a three-game homestand, 3-1 to the Stars on Monday and 3-2 in overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. The Kings are 7-10-6 at home this season; only the Vancouver Canucks (four) and New York Rangers (five) have fewer victories on home ice.

The schedule

San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, NHLN, NBCSCA, SNP, SNW)

Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SCRIPPS, SNO, TVAS)

Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; The Spot, FDSNMW)

Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KTVD, ALT, SNE (JIP), SN360, TVAS)

Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, Victory+, KCOP-13, SNE (JIP), SNP, SNW, SNO)