NHL On Tap: DeBrincat returns to Chicago with Senators

Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from six games Monday.

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DeBrincat makes Chicago return with Senators

When the Chicago Blackhawks traded Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators on July 8, it was an acknowledgement that the Blackhawks were headed for a rebuild. The Senators, meanwhile, were starting to stock up. On Monday, DeBrincat is set to make his return to Chicago for the first time since the trade, coming to town to face the team that selected him in the second round (No. 39) of the 2016 NHL Draft and for which he had 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 games over five seasons. After getting an NHL career-high 78 points (41 goals, 37 assists) last season with the Blackhawks, DeBrincat has 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists) in 62 games with the Senators and enters play with a five-game point streak (one goal, five assists). When the two teams play at United Center on Monday (9 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW), it will also mark a chance for the up-and-coming Senators (32-26-4), winners of five straight, to stay on a roll and gain ground in the playoff race. They are three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, tied with the Buffalo Sabres. For DeBrincat, it should be a fun reunion. For Ottawa, it's a needed two points against Chicago (21-36-5), which is last in the Western Conference and has lost four in a row. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Oilers, Sabres set for compelling matchup

Two teams, one on the precipice of being great and the other close to breaking the longest Stanley Cup Playoff drought in NHL history, create a tantalizing matchup when the Edmonton Oilers visit the Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN, TVAS). The Oilers (34-22-8) are two points behind the Seattle Kraken for third in the Pacific Division and hold the first wild card into the playoffs from the West. A team that was four wins from the 2022 Stanley Cup Final acquired defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Nick Bjugstad before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, hoping it finally found enough grit to complement the elite skill of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid has 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) during a 10-game point streak and his 58 power-play points broke Wayne Gretzky's Oilers record set in 1981-82. Draisaitl has 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) during a 12-game point streak. The Sabres (32-25-4), who haven't reached the playoffs since 2011, are 6-3-0 in their past nine games and three points behind the Penguins for the second wild card from the East with one game in hand. Sabres forward Tage Thompson has 42 goals, third in the NHL behind McDavid (52) and David Pastrnak (44). His 18 goals power-play goals also rank third to Draisaitl (26) and Mika Zibanejad (19). -- Jon Lane, staff writer

Stars, Flames heading in opposite directions ahead of showdown

Two Western Conference teams heading in opposite directions play Monday when the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames (8:30 p.m. ET; SNF, SNW (JIP), BSSW, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Stars (34-16-13) are first in the Central Division, three points ahead of the second-place Minnesota Wild, and on a nice roll; Dallas has won three straight after an impressive 7-3 victory against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Forward Jason Robertson continued his terrific season with three points (two goals, one assist) in the most recent win and is eighth in the NHL in goals (37) and points (79). He leads a deep Dallas attack that features four players with at least 55 points, and three with 25 goals or more. This is the Stars' final game before a six-game road trip, so expect them to be ready for the Flames (27-23-13), who've lost five straight (0-3-2). Calgary, which is coming off a 3-0 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, needs to find some wins soon before it's too late. The Flames are six points behind the Avalanche for the second wild card into the playoffs from the West. -- Jim Cerny, managing editor

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Monday games

San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets (7:30 ET; SN1, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW)
San Jose (18-33-12) has lost five straight games (0-4-1) and eight of nine (1-7-1). Erik Karlsson of the Sharks became the 10th different defenseman in NHL history to reach the 60-assist mark in 63 games or fewer on Saturday, the 20th time that it has happened and the second in the past 28 years, after Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators got there in 62 games in 2021-22. Winnipeg (36-25-2) ended a five-game skid (0-4-1) with a 7-5 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Jets are 25-10-2 against Western Conference teams this season.
Edmonton Oilers at Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN, TVAS)
Edmonton's power-play (31.9 percent) is first in the NHL and tied with the League record set by the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens. The Oilers man-advantage has ranked no worse than fourth since 2018-19; McDavid (58 points), Draisaitl (49) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (42) are Edmonton's top three scorers on the power play. The Oilers have scored at least one power-play goal in an NHL-high 48 games. Jordan Greenway will make his Sabres debut after the forward missed a 5-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday because of travel delays. Greenway was acquired in a trade with the Wild on March 3.
Calgary Flames at Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m. ET; SNF, SNW (JIP), BSSW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Flames have been outscored 17-8 in their past five games and have not scored a power-play goal in three straight after scoring five goals on the man-advantage in the previous three games. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored his 15th goal in a 7-3 win against the Avalanche on Saturday, and the 19-year-old set a franchise record for most goals by a teenager. Johnston has an NHL career-high five-game point streak (two goals, three assists).
Ottawa Senators at Chicago Blackhawks (9 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Ottawa forward
Tim Stutzle
has a four-game goal streak (five goals), after he scored twice in a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Senators have won 12 of their past 16 games (12-3-1). The Blackhawks have been outscored 16-6 in their past four games.
Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks (10:30 p.m. ET; SNP, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Predators (31-23-6) have won five of their past six games, including the first two on their season-long six-game road trip. The Canucks (25-32-5) scored two short-handed goals 44 seconds apart in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, good news for a penalty kill that's last in the NHL at 67.7 percent. Vancouver is 4-2-1 in its past seven games.
Washington Capitals at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS, BSW, NBCSWA, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Washington (31-27-6) has won three of four since losing six straight games. It received big contributions from two recent trade acquisitions in an 8-3 win against San Jose on Saturday, when Craig Smith scored two goals and Rasmus Sandin had three assists. Sandin became the first defenseman to get three points in his Capitals debut. Los Angeles (36-20-8) is 8-2-1 since the All-Star break, including three straight wins. Defenseman Drew Doughty is set to break a tie with Luc Robitaille for fourth place in games played in Kings history; each has played 1,077.