NHL On Tap: Pastrnak, Bruins visit Rangers winners of 8 of 9

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

Booming Bruins

The Boston Bruins (30-20-2) have won eight of nine and visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, NESN, MSG, TVAS). Bruins forward David Pastrnak has done well against the Rangers with 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) in 38 games. He most recently had six assists in a 10-2 win against New York in Boston on Jan. 10. The Rangers (21-25-6), who publicly released a letter Jan. 16 stating they'll start to retool their roster this season, have lost three in a row.

Division duel

The Pacific Division is tightly contested, and two of the top three teams will go at it when the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Place (8:30 p.m. ET; Prime, KCOP-13, Victory+). The Oilers (26-19-8) are second in the division while the Ducks (28-21-3), who have won seven in a row, are third, one point behind Edmonton. Oilers captain Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 90 points (32 goals, 58 assists) and Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke is second among rookies with 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) behind Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov (43). It should be quite the game.

Sizzling matchup

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the hottest teams out of the holiday break, their 15-game point streak ending with an 8-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Utah Mammoth have also been hot, winning five in a row, and travel to Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, Utah16). While the Lightning (32-14-4) are going back and forth with the Detroit Red Wings atop the Atlantic Division, the Mammoth (27-20-4) hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

The Bowness effect?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are 5-1-0 since firing coach Dean Evason and replacing him with Rick Bowness on Jan. 12. Is it Bowness' systems, messaging, something else? Whatever the reasons, the Blue Jackets (24-20-7) have been getting better results entering their home game against the Los Angeles Kings at Nationwide Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, FDSNW). Mason Marchment has 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in nine games for the Blue Jackets since he was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19. The Kings (21-16-13) defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-4 in a shootout Saturday, their League-high 21st game that went to OT or a shootout this season (8-13).

Schaefer still shining

Matthew Schaefer continues to show he's ready for prime time. The 18-year-old defenseman, who the New York Islanders selected No. 1 at the 2025 NHL Draft, has 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists), third among rookies and second on the Islanders behind forward Mathew Barzal (41 points). He also leads the Islanders with an average of 24:04 of ice time per game. New York (27-19-5) visits the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSP). Trevor Zegras leads the Flyers (24-17-9) with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games. The forward is four goals from tying his NHL career high of 23, which he reached twice with the Ducks (2021-22 and 2022-23).

The schedule

Utah Mammoth at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, Utah16)

Boston Bruins at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, NESN, MSG, TVAS)

New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSP)

Los Angeles Kings at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, FDSNW)

Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers (8:30 p.m. ET; Prime, KCOP-13, Victory+)