There are 10 games on the NHL schedule for Monday, two of which are nationally televised. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.
Howdy, Neighbours
Jake Neighbours is coming off a two-goal night as he looks to improve on a career season in 2024-25, in which he had 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games. He’ll get a chance to add to the goals he scored in an emotional return to Calgary, not far from his native Airdrie, Alberta, on Saturday, when the St. Louis Blues head to Rogers Arena to face the Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime, FDSNMW) and seek to sweep the two-game road trip.
Schaefer has arrived
The Matthew Schaefer era is upon us, with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft scoring the first goal of his NHL career on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. It was his second straight game with a point, after he got his first assist on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s the third Islanders defenseman to record a point in each of his first two career games and he’ll get a chance to score in a third straight when the Islanders face the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena on Monday (1 p.m. ET; MSGSN, TSN3).
Panthers continue to roll
No Aleksander Barkov? No Matthew Tkachuk? No Dmitry Kulikov? No problem so far for the two-time reigning champion Florida Panthers, who are one of two teams at 3-0-0 to start the season, along with the Boston Bruins. They’re only the second Stanley Cup-winning team in the past 25 years to win their first three games of the season, along with the 2023-24 Vegas Golden Knights (seven wins) and the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning (three). The Panthers will try to push that to 4-0-0 when they meet the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSP, TVAS).
Kaprizov’s killing it
There hasn’t been a letdown since Kirill Kaprizov earned an eight year, $136 million contract signed on Sept. 30 -- as the Minnesota Wild winger has jumped out to a hot start. He has six points (two goals, four assists) in his first two games of the season, tied with the Wild’s Matt Boldy and the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas and behind only Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel (seven). Kaprizov and the Wild will host the Los Angeles Kings at Grand Casino Arena (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, FDSNW).
Welcome, Easton
There will be an NHL debut coming on Monday for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (2 p.m. ET; Prime, FDSNDET) in a rematch of the Red Wings’ 6-3 win on Saturday. Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan, a first-round pick (No. 28) in the 2023 NHL Draft, practiced with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews on the team’s top line on Sunday and will get the nod. That the 20-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ontario, is set to get his first game at home is not lost on Cowan, who told reporters that makes it all the more special.
The schedule
Colorado Avalanche at Buffalo Sabres (12:30 p.m. ET; MSG-B, ALT)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins (1 p.m. ET; The Spot, NHLN, NESN, TVAS)
Nashville Predators at Ottawa Senators (1 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FDSNSO)
Winnipeg Jets at New York Islanders (1 p.m. ET; MSGSN, TSN3)
Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs (2 p.m. ET; Prime, FDSNDET)
Florida Panthers at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSP, TVAS)
New Jersey Devils at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, MSGSN)
St. Louis Blues at Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime, FDSNMW)
Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, FDSNW)
Utah Mammoth at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; Utah16, CHSN)
