Dad energy?
Will Cale Makar be back for the Colorado Avalanche when they host the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena (8:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT)? The defenseman missed a 3-2 win at Dallas on Tuesday to be with his wife, Tracy, who went into labor with the couple’s twins. Colorado coach Jared Bednar did not know whether Makar would return for the second game against Dallas, but there’s always the chance for the new-dad scoring bump if he is. Makar already has seven points (three goals, four assists) in five games this season and is averaging 21:30 of time on ice.
Ovechkin vs. the Canadiens
Alex Ovechkin has played 63 times against the Montreal Canadiens in his storied career with the Washington Capitals and can add three more regular-season games in his final NHL season, starting at Capital One Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; MNMT, Prime). Over those games, Ovechkin has 76 points (44 goals, 32 assists). He was held off the score sheet in a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and has one goal and one assist through six games.
Back-to-back
Nothing stirs up a rivalry like playing back-to-back, home-and-home games. The Avalanche and Stars are set to conclude this set after Colorado’s win at Dallas on Tuesday. As Stars forward Tyler Seguin said after the game Tuesday, “I know it’s super early in the year, but you feel the intensity. Maybe not playoff intensity, but it’s a fast game against them always. It’s always close.”
Sibling rivalry
Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson are set to meet for the first time in the NHL -- or at any level in Washington. Lane, 22, won the Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie in 2024-25 and has six points in six games (one goal, five assists) this season; Cole, 20, is a rookie with the Capitals and has three points (one goal, two assists) in six games. The brothers are two of four hockey-playing sons in the Hutson family, with the other two (Quinn and Lars) playing in the American Hockey League and United States Hockey League.
MacKinnon continues to keep pace
Nathan MacKinnon has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past three games for the Avalanche, including two assists Tuesday, and leads them with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in six games. MacKinnon has surpassed 100 points in each of the past four seasons, including 127 (53 goals, 74 assists) in 2025-26. He’s well on his way to getting there again.
The schedule
Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. ET; MNMT, Prime
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche, 8:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT
