NHL On Tap: McDavid, Oilers look to rebound vs. Blues after loss to Stars

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

Oilers need a spark

The Edmonton Oilers play the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Friday (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNP, SNW) in the second half of a back-to-back after a 7-2 loss at the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who is three goals shy of 400 for his NHL career, tried to get the Oilers going in the loss, getting into a scrap with Stars center Justin Hryckowian at the end of the second period. "He's the last guy that should be doing that to be honest," Oilers forward Zach Hyman said. "As a group, when things are going like that, there are ways to be engaged." The Oilers (32-25-8) also are looking to get some breathing room in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With 72 points, they are third in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings, who are each currently out of the postseason picture. They also are just three behind the Anaheim Ducks for first in the division. The Blues (26-29-10) are six points behind the San Jose Sharks for the second wild card in the West.

Electric youth

Matthew Schaefer continues to thrive in his rookie season with the New York Islanders. He has 27 assists this season, the third most by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history, behind Phil Housley (40) and Rasmus Dahlin (35). He looks to continue his sparkling season when the Islanders (37-23-5) host the Los Angeles Kings (26-23-15) at UBS Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSGSN). In 65 games this season, Schaefer has 47 points (20 goals), which is third among rookies, behind Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (20 goals, 31 assists) and Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov (14 goals, 37 assists).

Movin’ on up

That’s what the Kings would love to do in the Pacific Division. As they prepare to play the Islanders, the Kings are on the outside looking in. They are currently one point behind the Sharks for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Los Angeles, which is 3-6-2 in its past 11 games, is also five points behind Edmonton for third in the Pacific. The Kings need to right the ship quickly.

Metro traffic

The Islanders are in good shape, but they’d like to solidify their hold on a playoff spot. They’ve won two in a row and are third in the Metropolitan Division, tied in points with the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins, entering their game against the Kings. It’s a tight race in the Metropolitan, with the Columbus Blue Jackets two points behind the Islanders and Penguins.

Feeling Blue?

The Blues reached the playoffs last season after putting together a 12-game winning streak late in the season (March 15-April 5, 2005). They’ll likely have to do that again this time if they want to make the postseason. The Blues, who extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1) with a 3-1 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, are six points behind the Sharks for the second wild card from the West.

The schedule

Los Angeles Kings at New York Islanders (7 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSGSN)

Edmonton Oilers at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNP, SNW)