NHL On Tap: McKenna looks for first point with Maple Leafs against Predators

There are nine games on the NHL schedule for Tuesday, two of which are televised nationally in the United States and two in Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

McKenna seeks first NHL point

Gavin McKenna goes into his fourth NHL game looking for his first point when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, SCRIPPS). The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has three shots on goal while averaging 14:32 of ice time in his first three games. Toronto (1-2-0) has been led by forwards William Nylander (two goals, one assist) and Easton Cowan (one goal, two assists), and defenseman Morgan Rielly (three assists), each of whom has three points. Nashville (1-1-0) is coming off its first victory of the season, a 2-1 win against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Panthers pride

The Florida Panthers (1-0-2) want to close their four-game season-opening road trip on a positive note when they play the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena (10 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN+). It won't be easy after placing captain Aleksander Barkov (lower body) on long-term injured reserve Saturday. Lars Eller moved into Barkov's spot at center on the top line, between Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart, and could start there Tuesday after he had an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. That loss to the Ducks, thought, marked the return of forward Brad Marchand, who provided a boost after missing the first two games of the season recovering from offseason surgery. The Kings (0-1-1) need a response in their home opener after surrendering 13 goals in their first two games, making this an early test of whether they can tighten up defensively.

First Battle of New York

Matthew Schaefer needs one goal to tie Bobby Orr (24) for the second most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history when the New York Islanders visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN+). The 19-year-old, who won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season, has two assists in two games for the Islanders (1-1-0).  Phil Housley (46) is the all-time leader in goals by a teenage defenseman. Goalie Igor Shesterkin will look to continue to both goal prevention and goal creation for the Rangers (3-1-0), who have won three straight. In addition to making 28 saves in a 4-2 win against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday, he had an assist to become the first goalie with points in consecutive appearances (one goal, one assist) since Connor Ingram with the Mammoth on Feb. 6-9, 2025; he had scored his first goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 1. Henrik Lundqvist (2010-11), Ed Belfour (2001-02), and Tom Barrasso (1984-85, 1988-89) are the only goalies in NHL history with a point in three consecutive games.

Kane returns for Chicago home opener

Patrick Kane will play his first regular-season home game since returning to the Chicago Blackhawks (0-3-0) when they play the St. Louis Blues at United Center (8 p.m. ET; BN+, STLNHL, CHSN). Kane signed a two-year contract to return to Chicago on July 23, the city he played his first 16 NHL seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. It will be his first home game in Chicago since Feb. 21, 2023, before he was traded to the New York Rangers a week later, then spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. St. Louis (1-1-0) will try to spoil the celebration behind young forwards Jimmy Snuggerud (one goal, one assist) and Dalibor Dvorsky (two goals).

Eastern Conference Final rematch

The Montreal Canadiens (1-0-1) get a huge test against the team that ended their surprising run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs when they host the Carolina Hurricanes (1-1-1) at Bell Centre (7 p.m. ET: RDS, TSN2, CARNHL, HHN). Carolina defeated Montreal in five games in the Eastern Conference Final before going on to win the Stanley Cup, winning the final four games of the series after a 6-2 loss in Game 1. Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with four points (one goal, three assists) in two games as he looks to become the first Canadiens player with consecutive 100-point seasons since Guy Lafleur did it six straight (1974-80). Carolina returns many of the players who drove its championship run, including Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jordan Staal, and fellow forwards Sebastian Aho (three goals, one assist) and Andrei Svechnikov (three assists).

The schedule

Nashville Predators at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET; TSN4, SCRIPPS

Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, CARNHL, HHN

Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m. ET; DSN, TSN5, RDS2

Utah Mammoth at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. ET; Utah16, MSGSN

Minnesota Wild at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET; Wild+, MINNHL, MSG-B

New York Islanders at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN+

St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m. ET; BN+, STLNHL, CHSN

Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken, 9:40 p.m. ET; Prime Video, SCRIPPS, KONG, KING

Florida Panthers at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN+