NHL On Tap: Penguins resume play after Global Series, host Wild

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

Penguins hope for happy homecoming

The Pittsburgh Penguins are ready to resume the North America portion of their schedule against the Minnesota Wild at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, SN-PIT, NHLN, TVAS). Pittsburgh (10-5-4) had a successful journey overseas, taking three out of a possible four points against the Nashville Predators in two games at Avicii Arena in Stockholm in the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, including a 4-0 win Sunday. It has been 12 days since the Penguins played a home game in Pittsburgh and 15 since they won at PPG Paints Arena. They can also reach the 25-point mark through the 20-game mark of a season for the first time since 2016-17, when they last won the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh won 4-1 at Minnesota on Oct. 30.

Bedard, Blackhawks back at it

Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to move past a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday that they'd like to learn from; the Blackhawks (10-6-4) hit the road to play the Buffalo Sabres (7-9-4) at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; CHSN, MSG-B, SN). Chicago not only gave away a 2-0 lead to Seattle, but allowed the game-winning power-play goal at 17:42 of the third period with Bedard in the penalty box for an unsportsmanlike conduct (abuse of officials). The center picked up the minor at 15:44 after arguing with an official that a penalty should have been called for hooking on Seattle when he moved in on goal. Following the game, Bedard admitted he needed to have a better response and won't let it happen again. It was Chicago's first regulation loss since Nov. 3 -- at Seattle, by the way -- to end a 5-0-1 stretch. The Sabres are 2-5-0 in their past seven games.

Pastrnak about to join Bruins royalty

David Pastrnak is four points away from recording 100 points in a calendar year for the third time in his career. If the forward gets it Friday, it'll go a long way for the Boston Bruins (12-10-0), who can end a two-game slide, against the Los Angeles Kings (10-6-5) at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, NESN, SN). Pastrnak leads the NHL with 96 points (41 goals, 55 assists) in 65 games in 2025, including 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 22 games this season. With four more points he will become the fifth Bruins player to have 100 points in a calendar year at least three times, joining Phil Esposito (six times), Bobby Orr (four), Ray Bourque (three) and Rick Middleton (three). The Kings (10-6-5) are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss at the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. But they earned the point, thanks to forward Adrian Kempe tying the game 3-3 with 59 seconds left in regulation.

Hurricanes' Ehlers comes back in Winnipeg

It should be an emotional return for forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who will skate as a visitor at Canada Life Centre for the first time when his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes, makes its only visit of the season to play his former team, the Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNSO). Ehlers played 674 games with the Jets (12-7-0) from 2015-25, and is sixth on Winnipeg's all-time scoring list with 520 points (225 goals, 295 assists). He signed a six-year, $51 million contract with the Hurricanes (13-5-2) on July 3 and has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in his first 20 games with his new team.

Going Wild

The Penguins will have to re-acclimate themselves at home against the red-hot Wild (10-7-4), who have won three straight, are 5-0-1 in their past six and 7-1-1 in their past nine. U.S. Olympic hopeful Matt Boldy has seven points (four goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak, and the forward has nine points (six goals, three assists) in his past seven games. The Wild have scored the first goal in a team-record 10 straight games since Oct. 30; Minnesota has scored first in 13 games this season, tied for third in the NHL. Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt could be playing his way onto Sweden's Olympic roster. He's 5-0-2 with a 2.20 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games. He had a shutout streak of 175:12 end in Minnesota's 4-3 shootout win against the Hurricanes on Wednesday. It was the longest shutout streak by an NHL rookie since the 2015-16 season, when John Gibson had a streak of 184:30 with the Anaheim Ducks.

The schedule

Chicago Blackhawks at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; CHSN, MSG-B, SN)

Minnesota Wild at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, SN-PIT, NHLN, TVAS)

Carolina Hurricanes at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNSO)

Boston Bruins at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, NESN, SN)