NHL On Tap: Red Wings host Bruins in Atlantic Division clash

There are 11 games on the NHL schedule for Saturday, including two nationally televised in the United States and three in Canada. Here are the five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Neck and neck 

Something has to give when the Detroit Red Wings (38-23-8) host the Boston Bruins (38-23-8) at Little Caesars Arena (8 p.m. ET; ABC) in an Atlantic Division clash with major Stanley Cup Playoff implications. The Bruins, who hold the first wild card in the Eastern Conference due to having one more regulation win than the Red Wings, have points in seven of their past eight games (4-1-3). The Red Wings are looking to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2015-16. Each is tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens (84), who are third in the Atlantic with a game in hand. Detroit forward Alex DeBrincat is on a five-game point streak (nine points; one goal, eight assists) and had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win against the Canadiens on Thursday, his second consecutive three-point game.

Scoring leaders clash

Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov go head-to-head when the Edmonton Oilers host the Tampa Bay Lightning (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, TVAS2, The Spot). McDavid leads the NHL with 115 points (37 goals, 78 assists) in 70 games; Kucherov (114 points; 38 goals, 76 assists in 63 games) is tied for second with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. McDavid needs two goals for 400 in his career, all with the Oilers (34-27-9), who are second in the Pacific Division, three points behind the Anaheim Ducks and one ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Lightning (42-21-4) are second in the Atlantic, four points back of the Buffalo Sabres and four ahead of the Canadiens.

Sharks still circling 

Macklin Celebrini is doing his best to keep the Sharks in the playoff race; the 19-year-old center has 95 points (35 goals, 60 assists) heading into their home game against the Philadelphia Flyers (4 p.m. ET; NBCSP, NBCSCA). San Jose, which has not qualified for the postseason since 2018-19, has lost three straight in regulation and is two points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference. The Flyers (33-23-12) have points in eight of 10 (7-2-1) and trail the Bruins and Red Wings by six points in the East wild-card race.

Rookie watch

Matthew Schaefer will have another opportunity to impress in his first NHL season when the New York Islanders visit Montreal (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, MSGSN). The Islanders rookie became the youngest defenseman to reach 50 points in a season at 18 years, 195 days, with a goal in a 3-2 loss at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Schaefer has 21 goals and 29 assists and is averaging 24:20 of ice time in 69 games. Phil Housley is the only other 18-year-old defenseman to have reached 50 points in a season (Sabres, 1982-83). New York (39-25-5) is tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division, but Columbus has a game in hand. The Islanders are one point behind the Bruins and Red Wings in the East wild-card race. The Canadiens are four points back of the Lightning for second in the Atlantic and hold the tiebreaker on Boston and Detroit for third.

Sabres on a heater 

Buffalo (43-20-6) is on a roll that hasn’t been seen in the NHL in 30 seasons and can continue the trend when it visits Los Angeles (4 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSG-B). The Sabres are 32-6-2 in their past 40 games, the most wins in a 40-game stretch of a season since the Red Wings enjoyed a 33-5-2 stretch in 1995-96. Buffalo has won 11 of 12 to move four points ahead of Tampa Bay in the Atlantic race. The Sabres are looking to end the longest postseason drought in League history (2010-11). The Kings (28-24-16) hold the second wild card in the West, one point ahead of the Seattle Kraken and the Nashville Predators.

The schedule 

Winnipeg Jets at Pittsburgh Penguins (1 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NHLN, TSN3)

Vegas Golden Knights at Nashville Predators (2 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SCRIPPS, SN1, TVAS)

Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild (4 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+) 

Buffalo Sabres at Los Angeles Kings (4 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSG-B)

Philadelphia Flyers at San Jose Sharks (4 p.m. ET; NBCSP, NBCSCA) 

Seattle Kraken at Columbus Blue Jackets (5 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, KHN/Prime, KONG) 

New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, MSGSN) 

Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET: CBC, SNO, SNW, TVAS2) 

St. Louis Blues at Vancouver Canucks (7 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNMW) 

Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings (8 p.m. ET; ABC) 

Tampa Bay Lightning at Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, TVAS2, The Spot)