Tonight is the big night for the NHL. 32 teams and 16 games are all happening on the same night. This is the first time ever the NHL has done something like this, and it’s thanks in part to ESPN and its plethora of stations that make it possible. What makes tonight different than, say, every other Tuesday night in the NHL is that the start times of each game are staggered so that you could, in theory, catch a little of each and every game.
ESPN will feature three of the games on ESPN/ESPN+ in a triple header that starts with the Toronto Maple Leafs visiting the Washington Capitals, is followed by the Boston Bruins visiting the Chicago Blackhawks and then the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Vegas Golden Knights. Honestly, looking at that lineup, it feels a little like the league was looking for blowouts and set things up to playout accordingly.
If you don’t feel like tuning in to every game, ESPN+ will host a one hour whip-around coverage at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. At 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, that whip-around coverage will switch to ESPN 2. The coverage will be a little like the NFL Red Zone, where you see all the cool parts of the other games while not having to watch those five boring minutes where one team dumps and chases the puck a bunch of times without getting anywhere.
As a Sharks fan and a casual NHL observer, here are some of the storylines I’m looking out for, plus a look at every game scheduled for tonight. You can also find the Frozen Frenzy schedule on the NHL website here.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN/ESPN+)
Please do not give me any more Ryan Reaves content. I cannot watch a second more. Other than that, this is an interesting showdown between Alex Ovechkin and Auston Matthews.
I’m sure the NHL schedule makers thought that Ovechkin would be continuing on his quest to catch Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record, but so far, he hasn’t scored a goal in the first four games of the season. If there’s a highlight tonight, it’s seeing Ovechkin finally score.
Meanwhile, Matthews has cooled off since his back-to-back hat tricks and has not scored in three games. Still, six goals in five games isn’t horrible for the 2021-22 Rocket Richard Trophy winner.
Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on BSSC, BSOH, BSSD)
Forget Connor Bedard, let’s see what happens when you pit the second overall 2023 NHL draft pick (Leo Carlsson) against the third overall 2023 NHL draft pick (Adam Fantilli).
Both have scored their first career NHL goals. Carlsson got his on Oct. 19 in a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars and Fantilli scored his on Oct. 21 when the Blue Jackets beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in overtime.
Despite what people might think, this is not a grudge match. As Fantilli told the Columbus Dispatch, the duo bonded a bit when they hung out at the draft with Bedard and San Jose Sharks’ draftee Will Smith.
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators (6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT on MSG-B)
The Sabres are one of only two teams that played last night. Buffalo ran head on into Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jake Allen. Allen made 36 saves to help the Canadiens beat the Sabres 3-1. Buffalo could be looking for vengeance tonight against the Senators.
Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin is riding a five-game point streak heading into tonight’s game, while Dylan Cozens has a four-game point streak of his own.
Meanwhile, the Sens bring some grit combined with skill in Brady Tkachuk. He already has four goals this season. As for streaks, defenseman Jake Sanderson has a four-game point streak on the line.
Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on BSSUN, BSSO)
For the Carolina Hurricanes, the storyline is injuries. Andrei Svechnikov is no longer in a yellow non-contact jersey as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a torn ACL. That said, the Hurricanes have confirmed he will not play tonight. Sebastian Aho, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, could return tonight. Defenseman Brett Pesce, will miss tonight’s game with a lower-body injury.
On the Lightning side of the puck, the big question is whether the team can outscore its goaltending. Jonas Johansson is in the net while starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recovers from surgery to repair a lumbar disc herniation. In five games, Johansson has a 2-1-2 record with 3.58 goals against.
New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens (7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT on MSGSN2)
Fresh off of signing a new eight-year, $70 million contract, Timo Meier has yet to light the lamp. The forward has just two points in four games. While that’s concerning for Devils fans, it’s not the end of the world because you have other star players to pick up the slack. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt are both on torrid point paces. Hughes has ten points in four games, including four goals, while Bratt is close behind with eight points in four games.
Meanwhile, Montreal is the other team that played last night. The Canadiens need to decide if it’s Jake Allen or Sam Montembeault in net. Allen, stopped 36 of 37 shots last night for a win over the Sabres, but this short turnaround may leave Montreal opting for Montembeault.
The Canadiens are spreading out the team scoring. Three players have five points in five games, Tanner Pearson, Cole Caufield and Sean Monahan.
Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on BSSW, SN-PIT)
Joe Pavelski holds a special place in the hearts of all Sharks fans and Dallas fans as well. The 39-year-old scored his 452nd career goal on Oct. 21, the game winner against the Philadelphia Flyers. With 452 career goals, Pavelski is now sixth all-time in goals by U.S.-born players.
On Pittsburgh’s side of things, it’s not Sidney Crosby who’s leading the team in scoring, but Evgeni Malkin. Malkin has eight points in five games, while Crosby has a measly (sarcasm intended) five points in five games.
The Erik Karlsson experiment also continues in Pittsburgh. While Karlsson isn’t doing poorly with four points, the team has decided that splitting him and Kris Letang up on the power play. Sharks fans probably could have told you that.
San Jose Sharks at Florida Panthers (7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT on NBCSCA, BSFL)
Speaking of the Sharks, the second stop on the team’s first road trip of the season happens in Sunrise, Florida. The Sharks are still looking for that elusive first win of the season. San Jose is the only remaining team in the NHL without a win. This game marks the return of Anthony Duclair to Florida. Duclair played three seasons with the Panthers before he was traded to the Sharks in the summer.
As for the Panthers, the team has not started as well as hoped this young season, with a 2-3-0 record. The most recent loss came on Saturday to the visiting Vancouver Canucks. Sam Reinhart leads the team with eight points in five games, including six goals. So far, Matthew Tkachuk is looking for his first goal of the season.
Colorado Avalanche at New York Islanders (8 p.m. PT/5 p.m. PT on ALT, MSGSN)
The Colorado Avalanche have put the league on notice. Even without Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs are 5-0-0. Mikko Rantanen leads the way with eight points. Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen and Cale Makar all have six points in five games.
The Islanders also have a winning record, albeit not as good as the Avalanche’s. The team is 2-1-1 and is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri lead the team with four points in four games apiece. The biggest asset for the Islanders is in net, where Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov are putting together solid seasons with .914 and .929 save percentages, respectively.
Seattle Kraken at Detroit Red Wings (8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT on BSDET, ROOT-NW)
The Kraken are struggling to start this season, only snagging the team’s elusive first win in a 7-4 drubbing of the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 19. Seattle followed it up with a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night and are now 1-4-1. The Krakent will be without forward Andre Burakovsky for the next six to eight weeks. Burakovsky underwent a “procedure” to address an upper-body injury. The leading scorer for the Kraken is defenseman Vince Dunn with five points in six games.
On Detroit’s side of the ice, the team is off to a hot start with a 5-1-0 record. The Red Wings are second in a tough Atlantic Division, ahead of teams like the Maple Leafs, Lightning, Panthers and Sabres. A lot of that can be attributed to everything going right. Alex DeBrincat leads the NHL with 12 points and Dylan Larkin is close behind with 11 points. With the team averaging nearly five goals a game and the power play on fire, this will not be an easy test for the Kraken.
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN/ESPN+)
The Boston Bruins lead the Atlantic Division with a 5-0-0 record, while the Chicago Blackhawks are wallowing in the basement of the Central Division with a 2-4-0 record. David Pastrnak leads the team with eight points in five games, including five goals, while Brad Marchand is close behind with seven points. Look for reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to start in net for Boston tonight.
As for the Blackhawks, tonight is all about Connor Bedard. The young rookie will be without a key supporting castmate in Taylor Hall. The Blackhawks placed Hall on the IR list with a shoulder injury. Bedard will play with Nick Foligno and Tyler Johnson in Hall’s absence.
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets (8:45 p.m. ET/5:45 p.m. PT on BSMW)
The Blues beat the Penguins 4-2 on Oct. 21, cooling down what was thought to be a pretty hot seat under Head Coach Craig Berube. St. Louis currently sits in fifth in the Central Division with a 2-1-1 record, but the losses have not been great. The 6-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 19 had to be particularly galling to Blues fans. The team’s top performers have only been so-so to start the season. Robert Thomas and Jakub Vrana lead the team with three points each. Brandon Saad has the team lead with two goals.
Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 38 of 40 shots to secure the win for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele scored the game winning goal. Scheifele and Josh Morrissey lead the team with six points in five games apiece.
Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on BSN, BSWI)
The story for the Oilers tonight is how will the team do without Connor McDavid. Edmonton was already struggling, going 1-3-1 to start the season. Now, the team has been told that McDavid will miss 1-2 weeks with an upper-body injury. If there’s good news, it’s that McDavid was not the team’s leading scorer. That honor goes to Leon Draisaitl, who has nine points in five games to McDavid’s eight points.
One of the players Edmonton will try to turn to is Evander Kane, who has been less than stellar to start the season. Kane has a single point in five games and hasn’t seen as much playing time as he’d like lately. He took his frustration out on the Jets’ Brenden Dillon last game and then happily talked about it to the media after the game.
As for the Wild, the team is coming off a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. Minnesota is now 2-2-1. Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello lead the team with seven points apiece. Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson have split the time in net.
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators (9:15 p.m. ET/6:15 p.m. PT on BSSO)
After a disastrous season last year, the Canucks now sit in second place in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights. Vancouver is 3-2-0. Two of those wins came over the struggling Oilers, including that 8-1 triumph on opening night.
The Canucks are getting well-rounded scoring from key players and strong goaltending. Elias Pettersson has ten points in five games and Brock Boeser leads the team with six goals. Meanwhile, both Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith are coming through for the Canucks with .930% and .938% save percentages respectively.
Smashville lived up to its name on Saturday night when the Preds trounced the Sharks 5-1. Nashville is 3-3-0 in this young season. Filip Forsberg leads the team with five points in six games. Four other players have four points. Juuse Saros has been solid in net and has already pitched one shutout.
New York Rangers at Calgary Flames (9:45 p.m. ET/6:45 p.m. PT on MSG)
The Rangers are in Calgary tonight, ready to take on the Flames. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with seven points, while Chris Kreider has four goals in five games. In net, it’s Jonathan Quick showing up Igor Shesterkin. Quick won in his single start for the Rangers, stopping 27 of 28 shots.
On the flip side, Calgary is trying to snap a two-game losing streak. The Flames lost to the Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday and then followed it up with a 6-2 loss to the Red Wings on Sunday. Expect to see Jacob Markstrom in net tonight for the Flames. Elias Lindholm leads the team with six points in six games. Andrew Mangiapane is close behind with five points.
Arizona Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT on BSW, SCRIPPS)
The Coyotes are one of the bigger surprises of the season. With a 3-2-0 record, Arizona is currently third in the Central Division. The Coyotes have won two in a row as the team heads to Los Angeles, with a 2-1 win over the Ducks on Saturday and a 6-2 win over the Blues on Oct. 19. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz lead the Coyotes with six points apiece.
As for the Los Angeles Kings, Anze Kopitar just set the mark for most games played as an LA King with 1,297. He will add to that legacy tonight. Kopitar continues to be an effective two-way center for Los Angeles. He has five points in five games. Kevin Fiala leads the team with seven points, however, Fiala has zero goals.
Philadelphia Flyers at Vegas Golden Knights (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on ESPN/ESPN+)
Are the Flyers…good? If the record is anything to go by, yes. Philadelphia currently leads the Metropolitan Division with a 3-1-1 record. The Flyers most recently lost to the Dallas Stars 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. Travis Konecny leads the team with seven points, including five goals. Carter Hart continues to be stellar in net with a .929 save percentage in his four starts.
Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights are trying to keep that win streak alive. The defending Stanley Cup Champions have won six in a row to start the season, letting the entire league know there is no Stanley Cup hangover. Chandler Stephenson leads the team with seven points, followed by Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore who all have six apiece.
Alex Pietrangelo is still out. He hasn’t played since taking a puck to the face in the game against the Sharks on Oct. 12.
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