NHL On Tap: Canadiens visit Senators with Slafkovsky chasing milestone

There are two games on the NHL schedule for Wednesday, both are nationally televised. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

The surging Slovakian

Juraj Slafkovsky is one point from passing Henri Richard for the most by a player before age 22 with the Montreal Canadiens, who visit the Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, SN). The No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is having his best season with 23 goals, 52 points and 20 power-play points (11 goals, nine assists) in 63 games. Slafkovsky, a 21-year-old forward, is tied with Richard (163 points; 65 goals, 98 assists in 263 games) and has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past four games. Slafkovsky's eight points (four goals, four assists) for fourth-place Team Slovakia at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 were the third-most by a Canadiens skater in an Olympic tournament with NHL players behind Saku Koivu (11 at the 2006 Torino Games and 10 at Nagano in 1998). Montreal (35-18-10) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday and is third in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings.

More 'goals' in sight

Alex Ovechkin needs two goals to join Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with 1,000 in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined when the Washington Capitals visit the Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT). Ovechkin has 998 total goals in 1,717 games; Gretzky scored 1,016 in 1,694. Washington (32-26-7) ended a three-game losing streak with a 7-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday and is seven points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

Soaring Senators

Tim Stutzle looks to extend his point streak to 14 games and help the Senators (32-22-9) continue their surge into playoff contention. The 24-year-old center has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his past 13 games, during which Ottawa is 9-2-2 to move five points behind the Bruins. Stutzle already has the seventh point streak of at least 13 games in Senators history, including a 13-game stretch (Dec. 9, 2025-Jan. 5, 2026) and 14-game run (Jan. 25-March 8, 2025). He's also the eighth Senators skater with multiple 30-goal seasons (68 points; 30 goals, 38 assists in 63 games). Ottawa won 2-0 at the Vancouver Canucks on Monday to close out a five-game road trip (4-0-1).

Playoff posturing

The Flyers (29-23-11) will look to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Capitals. Philadelphia has won four of six and is nine points behind Boston with one game in hand. Goalie Dan Vladar, who many consider to be the Flyers' most valuable player this season, is 4-3-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in his past eight games (all starts) dating to Feb. 1. Vladar (20-11-6) needs three wins to become the third goalie in the past 20 years to win 23 games in their first season with the Flyers (Ilya Bryzgalov, 33 in 2011-12; Sergei Bobrovsky, 28 in 2010-11; Brian Elliott, 23 in 2017-18).

Goal Caufield

Cole Caufield is one goal from an NHL career high and three from becoming the Canadiens' first 40-goal scorer in 31 seasons since Vincent Damphousse scored 40 in 1993-94. The 25-year-old right wing has 64 points (37 goals, 27 assists) in 63 games, including seven (five goals, two assists) in his past six. Caufield's best season was 2024-25, when he had 70 points (37 goals, 33 assists) in 82 games.

The schedule

Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, SN)

Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT)