NHL On Tap: Rangers try to find their game against 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 four games Wednesday.

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Rangers need to find their game in Ottawa

The New York Rangers are struggling and frustrated. They've lost three in a row, the past two after blowing multigoal leads. New York (10-9-4) has surprisingly lost more than it has won this season. Igor Shesterkin is blaming himself for the Rangers' problems and the goalie said he feels "ashamed" about his play; he allowed four goals in the third period of a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and four in a span of 22:07 bridging the first and second periods in a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday. But New York has an opportunity to get back on track, starting against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS, MSGSN, ESPN+). The Rangers face the Senators in consecutive games, including at Madison Square Garden on Friday, then host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. That's three games in four days against teams lower in the standings. Ottawa (8-12-1) has won two straight, but that comes after losing three in a row by a combined 14-3. If the Rangers want to find some stable footing, they need to defeat the Senators and take some confidence into the weekend back-to-back set at home. Lose on Wednesday and it's four in a row, further killing their already shaken confidence. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Oilers showing flair for the dramatic

Consecutive stirring victories have given the Oilers fuel for a stretch beginning at the Blackhawks (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, SN360, SNW, TVAS) and a visit to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday that commences 15 games in 31 days to close 2022. Perhaps all it took to help Edmonton (12-10-0) escape a 3-7-0 rut was a comeback from down 3-0 in the third period to defeat the Rangers 4-3 on Saturday, after being outscored 8-2 in losses at the Devils and New York Islanders. The Oilers repeated the theatrics when center Leon Draisaitl scored 22 seconds into overtime after defenseman Evan Bouchard's game-tying goal with five seconds remaining in the third of a 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Monday. Edmonton got the balance it needs with Bouchard scoring three goals and center Ryan McLeod and forward Zach Hyman getting three assists apiece in the two games, but its success begins and ends with Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid, the
early favorite to win the Hart Trophy w)
, who totaled four points (one goal, three assists). The Blackhawks (6-11-4) have lost seven in a row (0-6-1) and closed their locker room for a meeting following a 7-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. "I think we all agree that as a group we need to be more mentally prepared," captain Jonathan Toews said. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

Marner eyes Toronto point streak record

Mitchell Marner can tie the Toronto Maple Leafs record for consecutive games with a point when they host the San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; SN, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW). Marner has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) during his 17-game point streak; the forward can join Darryl Sittler (1977-78) and Eddie Olczyk (1989-90), who co-hold the Toronto mark with at least one point in 18 straight games. Since 2010-11, three players in the NHL have a longer point streak than Marner: forward Patrick Kane (26 games for the Blackhawks in 2015-16, 20 games in 2018-19), center Sidney Crosby (25 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010-11) and Taylor Hall (19 games for the Devils in 2017-18). Marner has at least one point in all but two of the Toronto's 24 games this season. The Maple Leafs (14-5-5) have won four in a row and are 7-0-2 in their past nine games. The Sharks (8-13-4) began a four-game road trip with a 4-0 victory at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Wednesday games

Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN NOW)
Buffalo (9-12-1) is 2-1-1 in its past four games following an eight-game losing streak. Forward Jeff Skinner has scored five goals in his past four games to reach 10 goals for the season. He is one of four Sabres players to reach double digits in goals with forwards Tage Thompson (14), Victor Olofsson (11) and Alex Tuch (10). Detroit (11-6-4) had a four-game winning streak end with a 4-2 loss to Toronto on Monday. Center Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 21 games, including seven (two goals, five assists) in the past five games.
New York Rangers at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS, MSGSN, ESPN+)
The Rangers have lost three in a row in regulation for the first time this season. Their power play is 1-for-15 in the past five games. The Senators are coming off a 3-2 overtime win at the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday after a 5-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Forward Brady Tkachuk had goals in each game and forward Tim Stutzle has five points (two goals, three assists) in a four-game point streak.
San Jose Sharks at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; SN, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Sharks look to sweep the season season series against the Maple Leafs after a 4-3 home win Oct. 27. Center Tomas Hertl has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games, including two goals in a 4-0 win at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Toronto goalie Matt Murray is 5-0-1 with 2.17 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in six games since returning from an adductor injury. Ilya Samsonov will start for the Maple Leafs, his first game since he sustained a knee injury against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 5.
Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, SN360, SNW, TVAS)
Draisaitl scored his 48th game-winning goal for Edmonton on Monday. Three players (McDavid, 56; Brad Marchand, 54; Alex Ovechkin, 54) have more since Draisaitl entered the NHL in 2014-15. Kane and Toews will be reunited and play together on the top forward line for Chicago. Kane is four points from becoming the fourth United States-born player in NHL history with 1,200 (Mike Modano, 1,374; Phil Housley, 1,232; Jeremy Roenick, 1,216). His 1,196 points are second in Blackhawks history behind Stan Mikita's 1,467.