NHL On Tap: Bratt, Devils eye 7th consecutive victory, host Sharks

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

Scary good

The New Jersey Devils (6-1-0) are becoming the opposition's worst nightmare and hope to give fits to the San Jose Sharks (1-4-2) at Prudential Center. The Devils have won six straight games, matching their second-longest run in the past 14 years, behind a 13-0-0 stretch in 2022-23 that matched a Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts record. They've killed 21 straight power plays and are 24-for-25 (96.0 percent) so far this season. They've also scored on the power play in five consecutive games and are 6-for-20 on the man-advantage out of the gate. Then there's forward Jesper Bratt, who looks to extend his season-opening point streak to eight games (11 points; four goals, seven assists).

Touting Fantilli

Adam Fantilli is beginning to find his groove with the Columbus Blue Jackets (3-3-0) this season, with three points (one goal, two assists) in his past two games, and will look to keep it rolling against the Washington Capitals (5-2-0) at Nationwide Arena (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, MNMT2). The 21-year-old center has 45 NHL goals, the fourth most by a Columbus player before age 22, trailing Rick Nash (89), Pierre-Luc Dubois (65) and Ryan Johansen (47). Fantilli also has 16 career multipoint games, ranking seventh among Blue Jackets players prior to age 22. Dubois leads that list with 38.

Capitals gain

Ryan Leonard has scored a goal in consecutive games for Washington, which has won five of its past six. He's the youngest Capitals player (20 years, 273 days) to score in two straight since Nicklas Backstrom (20 years, 103 days) did it from March 3-5, 2008. Leonard, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has three goals and a plus-3 rating in seven games this season and go for a goal in three straight games when Washington visits Columbus.

Kozak impresses

Tyson Kozak will try to become the first rookie for the Buffalo Sabres (3-4-0) to score a goal in three straight games since defenseman Owen Power (three straight games, 2022-23) when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-3-1) at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, TVAS). The 22-year-old forward, chosen by the Sabres in the seventh round (No. 193) of the 2021 NHL Draft, would also be the first Buffalo forward to score in three consecutive games since Victor Olofsson (2019-20). For Toronto, defenseman Chris Tanev is questionable after leaving in the second period of a 5-2 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday, following an accidental hit to the head in a collision with Devils forward Dawson Mercer.

Nifty Nylander

William Nylander looks to extend his multipoint streak to five games when the Maple Leafs play at the Sabres. The 29-year-old forward, who leads the Maple Leafs with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in seven games, has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in his past four games. Toronto, which hosts Buffalo on Saturday in the second of four meetings this season, is 2-3-1 in its past six games. The Sabres, who ended the Detroit Red Wings’ five-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday, are 3-1-0 in their past four.

The schedule

San Jose Sharks at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSCA)

Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, MNMT2)

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, TVAS)

Calgary Flames at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, SNF)