NHL On Tap: Necas, Avalanche visit Jets looking for third straight win to open season

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

Rocky Mountain high scoring

The Colorado Avalanche (2-0-0) look to stay perfect and prolific in their first road game of the season when they play the Winnipeg Jets (2-0-1) at Canada Life Centre (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime, ALT) on the latest NHL on Prime "Wednesday Night Hockey." Colorado has 14 goals in its first two games, the second-highest total by a reigning Presidents' Trophy winner behind the 1989-90 Calgary Flames (16) and a franchise record shared with the 1992-93 Quebec Nordiques. Artturi Lehkonen has led the way for Colorado with three goals and Nathan MacKinnon tops them with five points (two goals, three assists). The Jets begin a three-game homestand flying high after back-to-back road wins at the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday by identical 3-2 scores. Winnipeg is led by Kyle Connor (three goals, two assists) and Cole Perfetti (two goals, three assists), each of whom has five points.

Ovechkin's final home opener

The Washington Capitals' home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT) will have some extra emotion with it being the final one for Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin, the all-time NHL leader in goals, announced Monday that this would be his 22nd and final NHL season. And there's no more fitting opponent than the Penguins, the first of four final times Ovechkin and long-time rival Sidney Crosby will be on the ice together. But the teams are more than just their veteran superstars. The Capitals (1-1-0) have gotten a boost from one of their newer players, forward Alex Tuch, who leads them with two goals in two games since being acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres on June 24. Washington likely will be without defenseman Matt Roy, who didn't practice Tuesday after leaving a 3-1 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday during the second period because of a lower-body injury. The Penguins are coming off their first loss of the season, 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Bryan Rust could make his season debut Wednesday after missing the first three games because of an upper-body injury. The 34-year-old right wing matched his NHL career best last season with 65 points (29 goals, 36 assists) in 72 games.

Western Conference playoff rematch

The Edmonton Oilers (2-0-1) will try to avenge last season's Western Conference First Round exit when they play the Anaheim Ducks (2-0-0) at Honda Center (10 p.m. ET; Prime Video, KCOP-13, SNW). Anaheim defeated Edmonton in six games last season before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the second round. Oilers captain Connor McDavid is second in the NHL with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in three games, and his teammate, defenseman Evan Bouchard, leads NHL defensemen with eight points and is tied for second in the League with four goals. The Ducks go for their third straight win to start the season led by forward Leo Carlsson, who has five points (one goal, four assists) in three games, including three assists in a 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

High fives

Carlsson is showing why the Ducks didn't hesitate to match the five-year, $90 million offer sheet ($18 million average annual value) he received from the Philadelphia Flyers in July. The 21-year-old center leads them in scoring and became the fifth player in Anaheim history with five points through the team’s first two games of the season, joining Saku Koivu (one goal, four assists) and Daniel Winnik (four goals, one assist) in 2012-13. It's helped the Ducks win consecutive games to open a season for the fifth time in their history and the first since 2019-20.

Nifty Necas

Martin Necas isn't slowing down after an NHL career-high 100 points (38 goals, 62 assists) in 78 games with Colorado last season. He had two goals and an assist in a 6-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, and the goals were his 50th and 51st with the Avalanche, in his 110th game. He's the seventh player in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history to reach 50 goals in 110 games or fewer, behind Jacques Richard (86 games), Real Cloutier (88 games), Marian Stastny (92 games), Peter Stastny (92 games), Anton Stastny (104 games) and Marc Tardif (106 games). Two of those goals have come against the Jets in his four games against them since joining the Avalanche on Jan. 24, 2025.

The schedule

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals, 7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT 

Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET; Prime, ALT

Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET; Prime Video, KCOP-13, SNW