NHL On Tap: Sabres host Maple Leafs, look to start new winning streak

There are 14 games on the NHL schedule for Saturday, including two nationally televised in the United States and five in Canada. Here are the five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Super Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres (40-20-6) continue to be the big surprise in the East this season. They lead the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning, and are on their way to ending their 14-season Stanley Cup Playoff drought. Their eight-game winning streak ended with a 2-1 loss to the Capitals on Thursday, so they’ll try to get back in the win column against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, CBC). The Maple Leafs (28-27-11), who are 1-6-2 in their past nine games, will be without center Auston Matthews, who is out for the season after sustaining a grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion in his left leg during Toronto’s 6-4 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. He left the game at 15:47 of the second period of after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.

Mack attack

Macklin Celebrini is nine points away from becoming the sixth teenager in NHL history to reach 100 in a season. The forward will look to move closer to that milestone with the San Jose Sharks (31-26-6) when they visit the Montreal Canadiens (36-18-10) at Bell Centre (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, NBCSCA). The 19-year-old is fifth in the NHL with 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in 63 games. Oh, he’s also on a seven-game point streak (five goals, five assists) and is a big reason the Sharks are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.

Schaefer success

There’s been plenty of publicity for Matthew Schaefer this season, and for good reason. He has 20 goals and is four away from scoring the most by a rookie defenseman in NHL history (Brian Leetch scored 23 for the New York Rangers in 1988-89). The 18-year-old’s quest for that mark continues when he and the New York Islanders (37-24-5) host the Calgary Flames (26-32-7) at UBS Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, SNW). Schaefer has 48 points (28 assists), third most among NHL rookies, behind forwards Beckett Sennecke of the Ducks and Ivan Demidov of the Canadiens, who each has 51.

Road worriers

The Boston Bruins (36-23-6) are holding on to the second wild card into from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now they face one of their toughest “opponents”: the road. The Bruins are 0-3-4 in their past seven games away from TD Garden and play their next three on the road, starting with the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena (3 p.m. ET; ABC, SN360, TVAS). Forward David Pastrnak leads Boston with 78 points (24 goals, 54 assists) in 60 games and is on a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists), but the Bruins need to find road wins, and fast. The Capitals (33-27-7) are 20-11-3 at home this season and trail the Bruins by five points.

Ducks’ division fight

The Ducks are trying to win the Pacific Division for the first time since the 2016-17 season, but they’ll have a fight on their hands down the stretch. The Ducks (36-26-3) are first in the division, one point ahead of the second-place Vegas Golden Knights and two points ahead of the third-place Edmonton Oilers, so every point counts for Anaheim when it visits the Ottawa Senators (32-23-9) at Canadian Tire Centre (1 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN5, KCOP-13, Victory+). The Ducks also will be without Gudas, who was suspended for five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday for his hit on Matthews.

The schedule

Anaheim Ducks at Ottawa Senators (1 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN5, KCOP-13, Victory+)

Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals (3 p.m. ET; ABC, SN360, TVAS)

Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets (4 p.m. ET; TSN3, ALT)

New York Rangers at Minnesota Wild (6 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, MSG)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, CBC)

San Jose Sharks at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, NBCSCA)

Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, FDSNSO)

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

Calgary Flames at New York Islanders (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, SNW)

Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NBCSP)

Detroit Red Wings at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, Victory+)

Pittsburgh Penguins at Utah Mammoth (9 p.m. ET; Utah16, SN-PIT)

Seattle Kraken at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, KONG, KING 5, KHN/Prime

Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; CHSN, SCRIPPS)