NHL On Tap: Young McKenna faces ageless Burns when Maple Leafs meet Avalanche

There are 14 games on the NHL schedule for Saturday, including two nationally televised in the United States and one in Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Generation gap

Just how impressive is the consecutive-games streak of 1,011 that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns will take into the game against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs (2-2-1) at Ball Arena (7 p.m. ET: NHLN, ALT, SNP, SNE, SNO)? Here’s some perspective regarding how much time that’s covered. Consider that Maple Leafs 18-year-old rookie Gavin McKenna was just 5 years old when Burns started his current run on Nov. 21, 2013. Thirteen years later, McKenna will face the 41-year-old Burns and a high-flying Avalanche team (3-1-0) that is averaging 5.75 goals per game, having scored 23 times over the first four contests of the new season. This star-studded matchup will feature three players who were the first name called in their respective draft years: Toronto’s McKenna (2026), Auston Matthews (2016, Maple Leafs), and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (2013, Avalanche), who is on a 2.00 points-per-game pace (three goals, five assists). A fourth member of that exclusive club, Toronto forward John Tavares (2009, New York Islanders), left the team Friday to be with wife, Aryne, after the birth of the couple’s fourth child, son Tucker. Nick Paul is the top candidate to take Tavares’ spot between William Nylander and Easton Cowan on the second line.

Slumping Sid looks to break out

It almost looks like a misprint on the Pittsburgh Penguins stats sheet: captain Sidney Crosby with zero goals and just two assists through the Penguins' first five games, including being held off the score sheet in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. For their part, Penguins fans would like nothing better than to see the 39-year-old bust out in the friendly confines of PPG Paints Arena when Pittsburgh (2-2-1) hosts the visiting Dallas Stars (7 p.m. ET: Prime Video, SN-PIT). Keep in mind that this is the same Crosby who has racked up an NHL-record 21 consecutive point-per-game seasons (averaging at least 1.0 point per game in every single season of his career), having surpassed Wayne Gretzky's previous record of 19 seasons. While Crosby looks for his first goal this season, 40-year-old teammate Evgeni Malkin scored against Columbus and is now tied for the team lead with three goals, along with Tommy Novak and Nicholas Robertson. It will be an emotional night for Nicholas, who will be going up against brother Jason Robertson, a forward with the Stars (2-2-0). It’s still early, but right now Nick leads the brotherly scoring race 3-2.

Panthers limp into home opener

The Florida Panthers (2-0-2) completed their season-opening road trip on a four-game point streak. That’s the good news. At the same time, the grind took its toll on the roster. That’s the bad news. Florida will face the Minnesota Wild (2-1-1) at Amerant Bank Arena (6 p.m. ET: Wild+, MINNHL, SCRIPPS) without a couple of key cogs who were injured in the season’s opening week. Forward Aleksander Barkov, who hurt his left knee against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 1, began his rehab Friday for an injury that coach Paul Maurice said will not require surgery and will keep the Panthers captain out 6-8 weeks. It was Barkov's second game back after he missed all of last season with an ACL and MCL injury to his right knee on Sept. 25, 2025. Maurice also said that forward Brad Marchand will be out a similar length of time after injuring his left leg against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. At least the home crowd will be able to see defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who missed the past two games (personal). The visiting Wild will also be without a key cog of their own in defenseman Brock Faber, who is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull.

Barkov will be back 'as soon as possible' for Panthers

Peaking Pasta faces floundering Flyers

Boston Bruins captain David Pastrnak can move past Marchand into sole possession of fourth place on the franchise’s all-time goals list when his team hosts the struggling Philadelphia Flyers (0-3-2) at TD Garden (1 p.m. ET: NHLN, NBCSP, NESN, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS). The next goal by the veteran forward will give him 423, putting him one ahead of Marchand and just four shy of former teammate Patrice Bergeron, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month. Pastrnak is coming off a four-point game (two goals, two assists) in a 6-1 win against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday and is heating up for a Bruins squad (3-2-0) that is facing a Philadelphia team that simply can’t find enough offense. The Flyers will be looking for goals against the stingy Bruins after scoring just six times in five games. Forward Matvei Michkov, with two goals, is the only Flyers player with more than one.

Can Sharks contain sizzling Bouchard?

The game between the visiting Edmonton Oilers (3-0-1) and San Jose Sharks (3-1-0) is full of juicy storylines, not the least of which is the scoring pace Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard is on. It’ll be an emotional afternoon at SAP Center (4 p.m. ET: NBCSCA, SNW, SN1) with Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse facing his former team for the first time since being traded from Edmonton during the offseason. The Sharks will also be hopeful that 20-year-old captain Macklin Celebrini, a game-time decision, will return after a two-game absence with a lower-body injury. At the same time, let’s not forget about the impressive early season start for Bouchard, who has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in just four games and is plus-10. The 26-year-old is also doing his best to quiet the critics of his defensive game by being on the ice for 11 goals for and just one against at even strength thus far. Given Bouchard’s performance to date, Nurse won’t be the only defenseman in the spotlight at the Shark Tank.

The Schedule

Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins (1 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSP, NESN, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS)

Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils (3:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, SNP, SNO, SNE)

Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks (4 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNW, SN1)

Minnesota Wild at Florida Panthers (6 p.m. ET; Wild+, MINNHL, SCRIPPS)

Utah Mammoth at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; Utah16, MSG-B)

Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNE, DSN)

Nashville Predators at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS-D, SCRIPPS)

Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; Prime Video, SN-PIT)

Carolina Hurricanes at Chicago Blackhawks (7 p.m. ET; HHN, CARNHL, CHSN)

Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues (7 p.m. ET; CBJHN, BN+, STLNHL, CBJNHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Colorado Avalanche (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, ALT, SNP, SNW, SNO)

Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; The Spot, MSGSN)

Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. ET; SN, KCOP-13, Prime Video)

Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; ABTV, SCRIPPS)