NHL On Tap: Avalanche look to continue scoring spree against Jets

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 three games Wednesday.

No shortage of contributors for Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have been a handful offensively in their first three games, using the same multi-pronged attack as when they won the Stanley Cup last season. The Avalanche (2-1-0) have scored 14 goals (4.7 per game) and will try to keep things rolling when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; SN1, SNW, ALT2, ESPN+, SN NOW). Five players are averaging better than a point per game, led by forward Nathan MacKinnon, who has seven points (two goals, five assists). Forwards Valeri Nichushkin (four goals, two assists) and Mikko Rantanen (one goal, five assists) have six points each and forward Artturi Lehkonen (two goals, two assists) and defenseman Cale Makar (four assists) have four points apiece.Colorado has gotten off to a quick offensive start without captain
Gabriel Landeskog
, who is expected to be out 12 weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery in Minnesota on Tuesday. For Winnipeg (1-1-0), forward Mark Scheifele looks to continue his red-hot start to the season. He has three goals in the first two games, scoring twice in a season-opening victory against the New York Rangers on Friday and again in a loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday. He also leads the Jets with nine shots on goal. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Flyers look to continue surprising start

Expectations were not high for the Philadelphia Flyers this season, which makes what they've done entering their game against the Florida Panthers (2-1-0) at FLA Live Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS) much more impressive. They're 3-0-0 after a 3-2 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, rallying from a 2-0 deficit. They've given up the first goal in all three games, including the first two goals in two straight; last season they were 5-36-4 when allowing the first goal. Keying that resiliency has been goalie Carter Hart, who has a .943 save percentage starting all three games. But now comes another test against a Panthers team that will be keyed up to play its home opener. Forward Matthew Tkachuk, acquired from the Calgary Flames in the biggest trade of the offseason, is tied for the Panthers lead with four points (two goals, two assists) in three games, and his agitating play already has allowed him to draw five penalties, tied for the second most in the NHL. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Will the rested Blues be rusty at Seattle?

The Blues have played one regular-season game. They need to get, well, um, Kraken. Counting the preseason, their sole game in the past 10 days was a 5-2 win at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. This game at the Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS) starts a three-game road trip that continues to Edmonton on Saturday and Winnipeg on Monday. Will they be rusty? Keep an eye on the third line of Ivan Barbashev, Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours, which plays to the Blues' forechecking identity and made the difference in the season-opening win. St. Louis and Columbus were tied 2-2 in the third period until Barbashev and Neighbours broke the game open by scoring 20 seconds apart. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Wednesday games

Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS)
The Flyers have won their first three games with new coach John Tortorella after a 3-2 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, spoiling Tampa Bay's home opener with their third comeback win in a row. Now they will try to spoil Florida's home opener. The Panthers lost 5-3 at the Boston Bruins on Monday after winning their first two games under new coach Paul Maurice. They also lost Aaron Ekblad to a lower-body injury. The defenseman was
placed on long term injured reserve
.
Winnipeg Jets at Colorado Avalanche (8 p.m. ET; SN1, SNW, ALT2, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Nathan MacKinnon has had multiple points in each of the Avalanche's first three games, including a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win at the Minnesota Wild on Monday. The Jets hope new coach Rick Bowness will return after he missed a 4-1 loss at the Dallas Stars on Monday because of a positive COVID-19 test. Associate coach Scott Arniel filled in.
St. Louis Blues at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS)
The Kraken (1-2-1) have lost two straight at home, 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday and 5-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. Forward Andre Burakovsky, who signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent July 13, has opened the season with a four-game point streak and leads the team in scoring with five points (two goals, three assists). Forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored two goals for the Blues in their season-opening win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.