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 the four games Wednesday.
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Hart expected to return for Flyers
Goalie Carter Hart could start for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, TVAS). He missed five games with a mid-body injury sustained in the first period of a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1, and had food poisoning that caused him to miss two. Hart is 4-3-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout in eight games for the Flyers (7-7-1). Carolina (9-6-0) has won six of eight, including 4-0 at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist and has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a five-game point streak. -- William Douglas, staff writer
Oilers eye third straight win
Don't look now but the Edmonton Oilers will try for a third straight win when they host the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place (8:30 p.m. ET; SN360, SNE, SNO, SNW, ROOT-NW). The Oilers (4-9-1) won their first game under coach Kris Knoblauch, 4-1 against the New York Islanders on Monday. Knoblauch was hired to replace Jay Woodcroft on Sunday and Edmonton won at Rogers Place for the first time this season. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in the win; he entered the game with just one assist in his previous five games. Edmonton is 6-2-0 against Seattle since the latter joined the NHL in 2021-22, including a 4-1 win at Climate Pledge Arena four days ago. The Kraken (5-8-3) have lost two straight and four of five (1-3-1). Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn has four assists in a three-game point streak. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer
Horvat returns to Vancouver for first time with Islanders
When the slumping Islanders visit the red-hot Canucks at Rogers Arena (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, TNT, MAX), Bo Horvat will return to the place he played for nine seasons. Horvat had 420 points (201 goals, 219 assists) in 621 regular-season games and was captain from 2019-23, prior to being traded to New York on Jan. 30. Though it will be emotional, his task will be getting the Islanders (5-6-3) their first win since Nov. 2. They have been outscored 21-9 during a five-game losing streak (0-4-1), allowing at least four goals in each. Horvat is second on the Islanders with 11 points this season (four goals, seven assists). The Canucks (11-3-1) have won six of seven and nine of 11 and have dominated on home ice, going 5-0-1, scoring the most goals per game (4.83) and allowing the fewest (1.50) among all NHL teams. Quinn Hughes, who replaced Horvat as captain this season, has 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) and leads the NHL with a plus-18 rating. -- David Satriano, staff writer
Wednesday games
Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, TVAS)
The Flyers are 0-5-3 in their past eight games against the Hurricanes, last winning 2-1 at Carolina on Nov. 12, 2021. Carolina defenseman Brent Burns (776 games) is expected to pass Craig Ramsay (776 GP) for the eighth-longest consecutive games played streak in NHL history. One defenseman is ahead of Burns, Keith Yandle (989).
Seattle Kraken at Edmonton Oilers (8:30 p.m. ET; SN360, SNE, SNO, SNW, ROOT-NW)
Forward Brandon Tanev scored a goal in 14:15 of ice time in a 5-1 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday after missing 14 games with a lower-body injury. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .961 save percentage in his past two starts.
Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; BSSD, BSSC, ALT)
Defenseman Cale Makar is on a four-game point streak (one goal, six assists) for the Avalanche (9-5-0). The Ducks (9-6-0) rallied from down 2-0 and won 3-2 at the Nashville Predators on Tuesday to become the first team in NHL history with six third-period comeback victories through their first 15 games in a season.
New York Islanders at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, TNT, MAX)
New York has scored 2.36 goals per game, tied with the Washington Capitals for 30th in the NHL, and more than three goals twice in 14 games. Vancouver has three players -- Hughes, Elias Pettersson (25) and J.T. Miller (23) -- who have at least 20 points this season. No other team has more than one with at least 20. Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek has 13 assists in a 10-game point streak after his previous NHL high was a six-game run from Nov. 12-25, 2022. He can tie a team record for the longest point streak by a defenseman shared by Jiri Bubla (11 games in 1983-84) and Dennis Kearns (11 in 1976-77).
