'Frozen Frenzy' top matchups selected by NHL.com writers 

It's time again for "Frozen Frenzy."

All 32 NHL teams will be in action Tuesday and for the second straight year, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will have it all covered.

The action begins at 6 p.m. ET when the Philadelphia Flyers take on the Washington Capitals in the first game of tripleheader on ESPN, which continues with the Colorado Avalanche against the Seattle Kraken at 8:30 p.m. ET and concludes with the Los Angeles Kings visiting the Vegas Golden Knights at 11 p.m. ET.

While that is going on, the "NHL Frozen Frenzy Live Whip-Around Studio Show" will begin at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and flip to ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET. Hosted by John Buccigross, Kevin Weekes and P.K. Subban, the whip-around show will check in on all 16 games being played.

The NHL will feature the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative during ESPN's Frozen Frenzy presentation, rallying around an epic night in hockey and evolving a League-wide moment with a public fundraising component.

NHL.com is ready for it. As a preview, our writers and editors each picked a game and provided what they are most looking forward to.

Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SNW, SNO, SNE, SN1)

The puck drops for Frozen Frenzy with a generational clash between arguably the greatest Russia-born player of all time against possibly the next great superstar to emerge from the country. The superstar is Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals (3-1-0) and the emerging star is Matvei Michkov of the Flyers (1-3-1). Michkov has lived up to the hype surrounding his arrival in Philadelphia. The 19-year-old rookie is tied for the team lead with four points (two goals, two assists) in five games. His high-end skill set has energized their offense, especially the power play, which has five goals in five games after needing 17 games to score that many last season. Then there's Ovechkin, whose goal against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday was his first of the season and No. 854 for his career, 40 behind Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894. Michkov was 10 months old when Ovechkin made his NHL debut in 2005. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Minnesota Wild at Florida Panthers (6:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FSSNNO, SCRIPPS)

The Wild (3-0-2) have yet to lose in regulation. In fact, the Wild have yet to trail in regulation. They're the fifth team in NHL history not to trail in regulation through the first five games of a season, joining the 1969-70 Boston Bruins (seven games), the 2015-16 Montreal Canadiens (five), the 1990-91 Bruins (five) and the 1930-31 Toronto Maple Leafs (five). They face their biggest test yet: the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers on the road. The Panthers (4-2-1) defeated the 2023 champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime Saturday with 17 skaters and are 3-1-1 in five games without forwards Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness). Tkachuk skated Monday is expected to be back for this one. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils (6:45 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, MSGN)

Will the new-look Devils find a way to slow down Nikita Kucherov? The Lightning forward owns a seven-game point streak (four goals, nine assists) against the Devils (5-2-1) that includes four multipoint efforts. He's also on a four-game point streak (three goals, two assists) at Prudential Center and has scored in 17 of his past 21 games against New Jersey (32 points; 10 goals, 22 assists). This season, Kucherov's seven goals leads the NHL and the Lightning are 3-2-0. The Devils went 0-2-1 against the Lightning last season, so they're looking for better results in 2024-25. Behind goalies Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, New Jersey is seventh in the League with a 2.48 goals-against average after eight games. They were 28th last season (3.41). -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG-B)

Whenever the entire League is in action on the same night, I look forward to any big surprises and upsets. The Sabres (2-4-1) have been inconsistent to begin this season, the same story as the previous two when they finished just short of a Stanley Cup Playoff berth with their postseason drought now at 13 seasons. The Stars have one of the deepest offenses in the NHL and are 5-0-1 in their past six games against the Sabres since 2021-22. Although the Stars have started 5-1-0, they have quietly been outshot 29.8 to 26.0 on average. Buffalo can catch its opponent by surprise on any given night and its offense is much more dangerous with JJ Peterka back. The forward has scored four goals in three games since returning from injury. -- Pete Jensen, fantasy editor

New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (7:15 p.m. ET; MSG, RDS, TSN2)

The only Original Six matchup in the Party of 16 has the Rangers visiting the Canadiens. There's an expression believed to be first said by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "You won't win until you learn how to lose." The Panthers learned, and they won. The Rangers (4-0-1) are playing with intent after being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final twice in three seasons. The Canadiens (2-3-1) have the look of a potential spoiler despite losing three in a row (0-2-1), most recently 4-3 in a shootout at the New York Islanders on Saturday. The core led by forward Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky -- the 20-year-old and No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft will be sidelined for one week with an upper-body injury and then reevaluated -- appears to be figuring it out and this year's team is better than the versions that finished last in the Atlantic Division the past three seasons. Forward Artemi Panarin is a very early Hart Trophy contender. His 12 points (six goals, six assists) lead the Rangers and he's their first skater to have multiple points in his first four games of a season, something unseen in the NHL since Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid in his first six of 2021-22. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, TSN4)

Craig Berube's memories of the Maple Leafs' most recent Stanley Cup championship might be a little sketchy. After all, he was 17 months old in May 1967, but hope springs eternal in Toronto and Leafs Nation hopes the team's no-nonsense coach can work the same magic that he did with the 2019 champion St. Louis Blues. Next stop on that road is Columbus against the Blue Jackets (2-3-0), who end a four-game homestand having enjoyed two days off since a 3-1 loss to the Wild on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are 4-2-0 and defeated the Lightning 5-2 in Toronto on Monday, the first of a back-to back set. Blue Jackets forwards Yegor Chinakhov (three goals, four assists) and Kirill Marchenko (two goals, four assists) are better than a point-a-game through five games. Historically, the teams are evenly matched, each with 19 wins and a tie in 39 games since Columbus joined the NHL for the 2000-01 season. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

Detroit Red Wings at New York Islanders (7:45 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, MSGSN2)

The Red Wings-Islanders matchup provides one of the League's top young defensemen, Moritz Seider, against speed skater Mathew Barzal, who will look to cause fits for the 23-year-old all evening long. Seider continues to be a workhorse and leads Detroit in ice time per game (24:37), just like he did last season (22:22). Barzal will have a new linemate after Anthony Duclair, who signed a four-year contract July 1 and had been playing on the top line, was injured during a 4-3 shootout win against the Canadiens on Saturday and will be out "long term," according to general manager Lou. It will be interesting to watch who steps up and tries to fill the void left by Duclair, who was bringing an element of speed to the lineup. -- Brian Compton, managing editor

Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, TSN3)

OK, I'll be watching the Chicago Blackhawks from my perch at United Center, but I always keep an eye on other games, so you bet I'll be seeing if the Jets (5-0-0) remain undefeated when they play the Blues (4-2-0). I figured the Jets would be in the mix in the Central Division, but didn't see them getting off to this sizzling start. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 goals-against average, .952 save percentage and one shutout in four starts. The Jets are averaging 4.80 goals per game. The power play (43.8 percent) is clicking, too. Let's see how long it continues. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (8:15 p.m. ET; CHSN, SNP)

Star power always makes hockey more fun and each of these teams has a bona fide superstar. For Vancouver, it's Quinn Hughes. The 25-year-old defenseman can take over a game at either end of the ice and will play close to half the game if the situation demands it. He can skate like the wind and his edge work is brilliant, much like Connor Bedard, the 19-year-old forward for the Blackhawks. Bedard is Chicago's unquestioned offensive leader and is must-watch TV. As an added bonus, this could be a foreshadowing of the 4 Nations Face-Off, where Hughes will play for the United States and Bedard a possibility to make Canada's roster. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director, editorial

Colorado Avalanche at Seattle Kraken (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+)

The Avalanche visit the Kraken in a matchup of two teams seeking to continue to build positive momentum. Colorado (2-4-0) got off to a rough start to the season, losing its first four games, but has won its past two and beginning to feel better about itself. Forward Ross Colton has had the hot scoring hand, leading the Avalanche with six goals, including five in his past three games. Cale Makar has also been rolling with 12 points including 10 assists, which tied the NHL record for fewest games to 10 by a defenseman. The Kraken (4-2-0) have recovered from losing two of their first three games with three straight victories. Forward Jared McCann is one goal from becoming the first player to score 100 for the Kraken. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Boston Bruins at Nashville Predators (8:45 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, NESN, SNO, SNE)

Concern is rising in Nashville. The Predators are the 25th team in NHL history to start 0-5-0; only nine of the previous 24 have gone on to reach the playoffs (37.5 percent). The last to do it is the 1995-96 Canadiens, who won six in a row after losing their first five in regulation, and the last team to qualify after starting 0-6-0 is the 1993-94 Washington Capitals. It won't be easy to get off the schneid against the Bruins, who lost 2-1 in overtime to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday but are 3-1-1 since a 6-4 loss to the Panthers on opening night. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Carolina Hurricanes at Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, FDSNSO)

I'm interested to see if the Oilers can get up to speed and start playing like Stanley Cup contenders as projected this season. McDavid has six points (one goal, five assists) in six games, pedestrian for the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner. The Oilers (2-4-0) are looking to avoid falling into a deep hole again and will be pushed by the Hurricanes (2-2-0), who have championship aspirations of their own. Carolina forward Andrei Svechnikov has four points (one goal, three assists) in four games and the potential for a breakout game. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Ottawa Senators at Utah Hockey Club (9:15 p.m. ET; Utah16, TSN5, RDSI)

I'll be tuning in to see if Utah (4-1-1) can remain undefeated at home when it plays the Ottawa Senators (3-2-0). It became the 10th franchise in NHL history to win each of its first two home games and the first since the 1992-93 Lightning after defeating the Bruins 2-1 in overtime Saturday. Utah is third in the Central Division and led by forward Clayton Keller, the franchise's first captain, with eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games. The team is averaging 3.67 goals per game, seventh-best in the NHL. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Pittsburgh Penguins at Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, SN-PIT)

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said during Kraft Hockeyville last month that whenever captain Sidney Crosby comes to Canada, "it's like the Beatles." Well, that's the perfect narrative when the Penguins make their only visit of the season to Calgary, where there will be no shortage of Pittsburgh No. 87 jerseys. The home crowd will also have some unexpected motivation for the Flames. In a projected rebuilding season, Calgary (4-0-1) is an early Cinderella story and faces a Penguins team (3-4-0) that has allowed an NHL-high 31 goals. After a couple of moribund seasons in Calgary, forward Jonathan Huberdeau is off to an excellent start with six points (three goals, three assists) in five games. Add it all up and there could be plenty of fireworks on the scoreboard in this one. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (10:15 p.m. ET; Victory+, NBCSCA, KCOP-13)

It's a shame Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick of the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft, won't be able to play because of lower-body injury, but there will still be plenty of young talent on display. On the San Jose side, you have 19-year-old Will Smith, who was taken No. 4 in the 2023 NHL Draft, and 22-year-old William Eklund, the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft who has four points (one goal, three assists) through San Jose's (0-4-2) first six games. As for Anaheim, keep an eye on 19-year-old Leo Carlsson. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games for the Ducks (2-2-1) and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, a 20-year-old chosen No. 10 in the 2022 NHL Draft, has two goals. And keep an eye on Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, a 24-year-old off to a fast start, going 2-1-1 with a 2.48 GAA and .931 save percentage. -- Bill Price, VP, Editor-in-Chief

Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights (11 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+)

I'm staying up late here on the East Coast for some big-time hockey when the Kings (3-1-2) take on the Golden Knights. Vegas (3-2-1) should be motivated, having dropped its past three games after starting the season with three straight wins, but it's more than that. I expect the Pacific Division to be tight until the end, making every point count. Right now, I'm keen to watch Vegas forwards Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, each of whom are top 10 in points with Eichel having 10 (two goals, eight assists) and Stone at nine (two goals, seven assists). Kings forward Anze Kopitar isn't far behind with eight (three goals, five assists). The Golden Knights want to right their team at home. The Kings, who have gotten two straight game-winners from Alex Laferriere, won't make that easy. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer