NHL On Tap: Hutson, Werenski face off on 'Prime Monday Night Hockey'

There are six games on the NHL schedule for Monday, including one nationally televised in Canada. Here are the five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

'Prime' time

The slumping Montreal Canadiens are hoping to break out when they play the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on "Prime Monday Night Hockey" (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, Prime, RDS). The Canadiens (10-6-2) have lost three in a row in regulation, getting outscored 15-3 in the process. They've also lost three key players to long-term injuries in forwards Alex Newhook (fractured ankle, out four months) and Kirby Dach (fractured foot, out 4-6 weeks), and defenseman Kaiden Guhle (partially torn adductor, out 8-10 weeks). Keep an eye on Montreal's Lane Hutson and Columbus' Zach Werenski as both defensemen are candidates to make the U.S. Olympic team. Hutson, like his team, needs a breakout game. He has one point, an assist, and a minus-8 rating in the past five games. He has 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 18 games. Werenski has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 18 games. The Blue Jackets (9-7-2) have points in four straight games (2-0-2).

First-place Bruins look to stay hot at home

Even when things are going well, there's always a potential injury lingering. The Boston Bruins (12-8-0), winners of eight of their past nine games to climb into first place in the Atlantic Division, are dealing with two as they put a six-game home winning streak on the line when they play the Carolina Hurricanes (12-5-1) at TD Garden. Charlie McAvoy was struck in the face by a shot in the second period of Boston's 3-2 win at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The defenseman left that game and didn't return. He was not on the ice for the morning skate Monday, met with doctors and could require surgery, Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. Boston forward Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) was placed on injured reserve after also sustaining his injury in Montreal. The Hurricanes are 5-1-1 in their past seven games, with the regulation loss coming against the Bruins, 2-1 in Boston on Nov. 1.

Mr. November

Connor McDavid is red-hot in the month of November and, not surprisingly, the Edmonton Oilers are starting to find consistency. McDavid has at least one point in all eight of Edmonton's games this month, including six multipoint games, giving him 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) since Nov. 1. The Oilers (9-7-4) have won three of four games, including two of the first three on a season-long seven-game road trip. They'll try to keep the road trip going well when they play the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, SNW). The Sabres (6-8-4) are coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, when they came back from down 4-1 to end a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).

Royal road warriors

Flights, hotels, dinners out and bussing to the arena all seem to be treating the Los Angeles Kings quite well. They're carrying a six-game road win streak and 10-game road point streak into Capital One Arena to play the Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MNMT). The Kings (10-5-4) have won the first four games of their current six-game trip, including 1-0 against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. They're 9-2-2 since starting the season with one win in their first six games (1-3-2). Quinton Byfield has a point on the game-winning goal in three straight games. The only other Kings player to do that in the past five seasons is Anze Kopitar (Dec. 3-7, 2023). The Capitals (8-8-2) have just two wins in their past 10 games (2-6-2).

Marchand rolling, can Panthers follow

Brad Marchand is making his case to be on Canada's Olympic team stronger with each passing game. The 37-year-old forward has 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in a 10-game point streak. He is the oldest player in Florida Panthers history to have a point streak of at least 10 games and he's the third player in the League in the past 10 years to do it at 37 or older following Sidney Crosby (12 games; March 9-April 5, 2025) and Alex Ovechkin (10 games; Jan. 24-Feb. 22, 2024). Marchand will put that streak on the line when the Panthers play the Vancouver Canucks at Amerant Bank Arena (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNP). The Panthers (9-8-1) lost 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, ending a two-game winning streak. They're 3-3-0 in their past six games. The Canucks came back to defeat the Lightning 6-2 on Sunday behind Quinn Hughes' third career four-assist game.

The schedule

Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, NESN, TVAS)

Edmonton Oilers at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, SNW)

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNP)

Los Angeles Kings at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MNMT)

Montreal Canadiens at Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, Prime, RDS)

Utah Mammoth at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; Utah16, Victory+)