NHL On Tap: Ovechkin seeks first goal of season when Capitals host Kraken

There are three games on the NHL schedule for Sunday, including one nationally televised in the United States. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Ovechkin seeks No. 1

Alex Ovechkin is in search of his first goal in his final NHL season and will get a chance to score it at home when the Washington Capitals (3-1-0) play the Seattle Kraken at Capital One Arena (5 p.m. ET; Prime Video, MNMT, KONG, SN+, TVAS). The 41-year-old has scored 929 goals, most in NHL history, and 32 in 86 games since turning 40, with his 0.37 goals per game during that span the second highest in League history (minimum 10 games) behind Gordie Howe (113 in 295 games; 0.38 goals per game). The Capitals captain has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 10 games against the Kraken (1.30 points per game), tied with the St. Louis Blues for his fourth highest points-per-game average against one opponent behind the Utah Mammoth (2.00), Minnesota Wild (1.48) and Winnipeg Jets (1.35). Ovechkin also has 759 assists, four from passing Nicklas Backstrom (762) for most in Capitals history.

Get Kraken

The Kraken (3-2-0) are scoring at an impressive rate to start the season, averaging 4.20 goals through their first five games. Only the Colorado Avalanche (5.20) and Edmonton Oilers (5.00) are averaging more so far. The newfound offense is a welcome sight in Seattle, which averaged 2.73 goals per game last season, 28th in the NHL. The Kraken have scored six goals in three of their first five games, led by Jared McCann's six points (one goal, five assists), and have 13 players with at least three points.

Garand gets the call

Dylan Garand will make his second start of the season when the New York Rangers host the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden (6 p.m. ET; MSG, SNP). Goalie Igor Shesterkin is out for the rest of the season with a lower-body injury sustained at 8:20 of the second period in a 3-1 loss at the Capitals on Friday. New York is also without goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who will be out four weeks with a lower-body injury. Garand, 24, was selected by the Rangers (4-2-0) in the fourth round (No. 103) of the 2020 NHL Draft and played four seasons for Hartford in the American Hockey League. He made 22 saves a 2-0 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 2 for his first NHL shutout. The Canucks (2-4-0) head to New York City after a 4-1 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Flyers in search of a victory

The Philadelphia Flyers are still in search of their first win of the season and will have another opportunity to earn it when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET; HHN, CARNHL, NHLN, NBCSP, SN+, TVAS). Goalie Joseph Woll is expected to start the second of a back to back for the Flyers (0-4-2), who lost 5-1 at the Boston Bruins on Saturday, when Dan Vladar made 27 saves. Scoring has been an issue for Philadelphia with a League-low seven goals through six games (1.17 goals per game).

Back on track

The Hurricanes (4-1-1) have their groove back after losing their first two games and can extend their winning streak to five. Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho has nine points (five goals, four assists) on a five-game point streak and forward Jackson Blake has seven points (one goal, six assists) on a five-game run. Carolina plays the second of a back to back after a 5-2 win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, when Brandon Bussi made 24 saves. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov will likely start for the Hurricanes, who swept the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Second Round on their way to winning the Stanley Cup.

The schedule

Seattle Kraken at Washington Capitals (5 p.m. ET; Prime Video, MNMT, KONG, SN+, TVAS)

Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers (6 p.m. ET; MSG, SNP)

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; HHN, CARNHL, NHLN, NBCSP, SN+, TVAS)