NHL On Tap: Pinto, Senators host Wild riding hot streaks

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 10 games Thursday.

Are the Senators (and Shane) for real?

Can Shane Pinto score again? The Ottawa Senators forward has scored in five straight games, with six points (five goals, one assist) on the season. If Pinto scores against the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDSI, BSN, BSWI, ESPN+, SN NOW), he'll become the first NHL rookie with a six-game goal streak since Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators in 2014-15. Pinto has helped push the Senators (4-2-0) to four consecutive wins and they can win their fifth straight on home ice for the first time in their history. Ottawa is without Josh Norris, who could be out for the season with a shoulder injury sustained against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Norris has two points (one goal, one assist) and is third in ice time among Senators forwards (18:21). The Wild (2-3-1) seem to have righted the ship after a tough start to their season. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Surprising Blackhawks host Oilers

This is supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Chicago Blackhawks (4-2-0), but they are making some early noise under first-year coach Luke Richardson with four straight wins heading into their showdown with Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers (4-3-0) at United Center (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW). That includes wins in the first three games of a four-game homestand despite losing goalie Petr Mrazek to a groin strain during a 4-3 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Over its winning streak, Chicago has outscored opponents 18-11, its power play is 3-for-10 (30 percent) and its penalty kill is 17-for-18 (94.4 percent). The Blackhawks will be without leading scorer Tyler Johnson (six points; two goals, four assists) after the forward (right ankle) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Tuesday, when he left early in the third period of a 4-2 win against the Florida Panthers after he was hit into the boards by Aleksander Barkov. Forward Leon Draisaitl leads Edmonton with 12 points (three goals, nine assists), followed by McDavid with 11 (five goals, six assists). -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Capitals go for third straight win

The Washington Capitals continues their four-game road trip at the Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, BSSWX, NBCSWA, ESPN+, SN NOW) seeking their third straight win and fifth in six games. The Capitals (4-3-0) defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-3 on Monday, getting a goal from Alex Ovechkin, who continues his march toward history. Ovechkin is 17 goals from 800 and 18 behind Gordie Howe for second in NHL history. He will face one of his toughest opponents with 11 goals in 22 games against Dallas, tied for his third fewest against any team. The Stars (4-2-1) have lost three of four and could be without defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who was a late scratch prior to a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury. -- David Satriano, staff writer

Thursday games

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, NESN, BSDET, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Red Wings (3-1-2) are led by Dominik Kubalik with 10 points (four goals, six assists), the most by a player in his first six games with Detroit since Paul Coffey had two goals and eight assists in 1993. Goalie Jeremy Swayman is expected to start for the Bruins (6-1-0) after Linus Ullmark started the past three games, allowing five goals on 89 shots.
Florida Panthers at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, BSFL, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Panthers (4-2-1) continue to struggle on the power play, where they are scoring at 6.1 percent (30th) after finishing tied for fifth last season (24.4 percent). The Flyers (4-2-0) were shut out 3-0 by the San Jose Sharks on Sunday and are without forward James van Riemsdyk, who fractured his finger in the game and will have surgery Friday.
Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; TSN5, RDSI, BSN, BSWI, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Wild are 11-4-2 against the Senators since Oct. 11, 2011. They've earned points in five straight games (4-0-1) and are 5-1-2 in their past eight at Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators lead the NHL with 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) from players 23 or younger. Ottawa signed forward Mark Kastelic to a two-year contract.
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+)
A three-game winning streak ended for the Sabres (4-2-1) with a 5-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, their only loss on a four-game road trip. Rasmus Dahlin's five-game goal streak also ended but he remains on a six-game, season-opening point streak. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is two assists from 100 in the NHL. He leads Montreal (3-4-0) with seven points (three goals, four assists).
St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN NOW)
The Predators (2-4-1) have lost four in a row since a 2-0 season-opening victory at the 2022 NHL Global Series in Prague. They play the Blues following a four-day layoff. St. Louis (3-2-0) has scored 12 goals in five games.
Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Oilers defeated the Blues 3-1 on Wednesday to win consecutive games for the first time this season and their power play is 7-for-22 (31.8 percent, fourth in NHL) after six games. The Blackhawks are after their first five-game winning streak since Jan. 11-19, 2020.
Washington Capitals at Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, BSSWX, NBCSWA, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Capitals have come from behind to win their four games this season. Five teams in the past 10 years have done so at least its first five games: The Sabres (10 in 2013-14, the longest run in NHL history), Pittsburgh Penguins (seven in 2020-21), Senators (six in 2020-21), Canadiens (six in 2014-15) and Oilers (five in 2019-20). The Stars have outscored opponents 9-2 in their two home games, continue to be led by their top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, who each has seven points.
Vancouver Canucks at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, SNP, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Canucks put forwards Brock Boeser and Curtis Lazar on injured reserve Wednesday, another blow for a team that is 0-5-2 to start the season. Kraken forward Jordan Eberle is one point from 600 in the NHL and becoming the third skater from the 2008 NHL Draft Class to reach the milestone. He has 13 points (10 goals, three assists) in his past 13 games against the Canucks.
Toronto Maple Leafs at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Like the Capitals, the Maple Leafs have rallied to win their first four games. Toronto forward William Nylander has points in five straight (three goals, two assists). The Sharks are averaging an NHL-low 1.89 goals per game.
Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BWS, TSN3, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Jets will be without coach Rick Bowness while he continues to recover from COVID-19. Associate coach Scott Arniel will coach Winnipeg, which is coming off a 4-0 win against the Blues on Monday. Kings forward Gabriel Vilardi (23 years, 72 days) is one of four players 23 or younger with at least nine points this season (Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, Brady Tkachuk). He and Tkachuk are the only two with four multipoint games.