NHL On Tap: Blues look for third straight win, visit red-hot Avalanche

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 four games Monday.

Blues hope to keep building against red-hot Avalanche

The St. Louis Blues have won two straight games after losing eight in a row. They're trying to make their way back into relevancy and back-to-back wins against the San Jose Sharks (5-3) and Vegas Golden Knights (3-2) is a good start. Vegas had won nine in a row before running into St. Louis and goalie Jordan Binnington (34 saves) on Saturday. But it doesn't get easier. The Blues (5-8-0) are in Denver on Monday to play the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, ALT, BSMW, ESPN+). All the Avalanche have done is win four straight games despite a myriad of injuries (forwards Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin and Darren Helm, and defensemen Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard have been out). Colorado (8-4-1) went to Finland and swept the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022 NHL Global Series to get back on track after a 4-4-1 start. The Avalanche have since defeated the Nashville Predators (5-3) and Carolina Hurricanes (4-1) at home. Nathan MacKinnon has at least two points in five straight games (one goal, 13 assists). But St. Louis finally has some good vibes going after looking listless in an eight-game losing streak that saw it outscored 38-12. A win against the Avalanche two nights after defeating the Golden Knights would go a long way toward reversing a difficult first month of the season. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Hurricanes look to rebound against Blackhawks

The Hurricanes will try to rekindle their offense and get back on the winning track against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW) after losing three of their past four games. The Hurricanes (9-5-1) broke out offensively in a 7-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday but lost 4-1 at the Avalanche on Saturday and have scored two total goals in their past three losses. Martin Necas leads Carolina with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 15 games, but the forward has two assists (both against Edmonton) in his past four games. Chicago (6-5-3) returns home after going 1-1-1 on a three-game road trip, including a 3-2 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, when defenseman Jarred Tinordi had his first two-goal game after scoring two goals in his previous 121 NHL games. -- Tom Gulitti, Staff Writer

Giroux hopes to continue hot streak

Claude Giroux looks to extend his point streak to nine games when the Ottawa Senators host the New York Islanders at Canadian Tire Centre (5:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS2, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW). The forward had three assists in a 4-1 win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday to help Ottawa (5-8-1) end a seven-game losing streak. Giroux, who signed a three-year contract on July 13, has five goals and six assists during his streak and is the fourth player in Senators history to have a point streak of at least eight games during his first season with the team (Filip Kuba, eight games, 2008-09; Dany Heatley, 22 games and nine games, 2005-06; Norm Maciver, nine games, 1992-93). Brock Nelson has three goals and four points in his past four games for the Islanders (10-6-0), who have won three of their past four. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

Monday games

New York Islanders at Ottawa Senators (5:30 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDS2, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is out at least one week with a concussion sustained 26 seconds into the third period after being hit into the boards from behind by Flyers forward Travis Konecny on Saturday. Center Mathew Barzal, who has 16 assists in 16 games, still seeks his first goal of the season for the Islanders.
Carolina Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Jonathan Toews needs two assists to become the eighth player to reach 500 with the Blackhawks. Chicago is 4-2-1 at home. The Hurricanes are fourth in the NHL averaging 36.1 shots on goal per game and the Blackhawks are tied for 28th in allowing 34.9 shots on goal per game.
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (8:30 p.m. ET; SN, BSW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Calgary center Jonathan Huberdeau has 199 NHL goals and can become the eighth player from the 2011 NHL Draft class to reach 200 (Nikita Kucherov leads with 252). The Flames (6-6-2) have scored first in each of their past five games. Forward Kevin Fiala of the Kings (10-6-1) needs one point to become the fourth Switzerland-born player in NHL history to reach 300 and join Roman Josi (551), Mark Streit (434), Nino Niederreiter (376) and Mark Hardy (368). Forward Brendan Lemieux was placed on injured reserve by the Kings on Sunday with a lower-body injury.
St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, ALT, BSMW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Colorado has won four games in a row, scoring at least four goals in each game. The Avalanche are 5-for-12 on the power play in their four-game winning streak and lead the NHL at 39.0 percent. The Blues are 29th on the penalty kill (70.8 percent) but have not committed a penalty in two straight games. They've been on the PK only five times in the past five games, though allowed three power-play goals.