NHL On Tap: Smith's 1st game as Kings coach comes against Avalanche

There are six games on the NHL schedule for Monday, including two nationally televised in the United States and one in Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Smith in, Hiller out

D.J. Smith took the helm of the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday after the team opted to fire Jim Hiller, who went 93-58-24 in three seasons with the team. Smith, who was an associate coach under Hiller, previously coached the Ottawa Senators for five seasons from 2019-23. His first game with the Kings (24-21-14) will come against the best team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche (39-10-9), at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, KTVD, ALT2).  "At this point in the season, we believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect,” general manager Ken Holland said on Sunday. “These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward."

Decisions loom for Predators

At one point in the season, the Nashville Predators (27-24-8) looked to be clear sellers come the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, which is Friday. But the Predators have closed to within three points of the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, so what they do in their three games between now and the trade deadline could decide the fate of players like Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly. First up will be a home game at Bridgestone Arena (2 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, FDSNSO, NHLN) against the Detroit Red Wings (34-20-6), who are in a heated battle to try to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They currently hold the first wild card from the East, three points ahead of the Boston Bruins.

Looking for nine

The hottest team in the NHL will look to extend its run when the Dallas Stars (36-14-9) meet the Vancouver Canucks (18-34-7) at Rogers Arena on Monday (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, Victory+). The Stars, who defeated the Predators 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, have won eight straight games, which is tied for the franchise record previously set in 2023-24. The Stars have continued winning even with big names such as Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Tyler Seguin sidelined. Jason Robertson, who scored the overtime goal against Nashville, has been leading the way. He has 68 points (33 goals, 35 assists) this season, one behind Rantanen for the team lead.

Werenski still riding high

Zach Werenski continues to be on quite a roll. Not only did his assist on Jack Hughes’ "Golden Goal" get Team USA the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, but the defenseman is on a nine-game point streak (two goals, 11 assists) as he tries to help the Columbus Blue Jackets (29-21-8) continue their climb in the race for the playoffs. The Blue Jackets are five points behind the Bruins for the second wild card from the East. They face off against the New York Rangers (23-29-7) at Madison Square Garden on Monday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NHLN, MSG), when Werenski will attempt to extend a run that’s already both a career high and the longest for a defenseman in Blue Jackets history.

Last days for some Leafs?

When the Toronto Maple Leafs (27-24-9) face the Philadelphia Flyers (27-21-11) at Scotiabank Arena on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, NBCSP), it will mark the final home game for the Maple Leafs before the trade deadline, and given that the Maple Leafs are tied for the third-fewest points in the Eastern Conference, it could mean that some faces might be gone from Toronto by the time the Maple Leafs return for their next home game on Saturday. Toronto sits eight points back of the Bruins for the second wild card from the East just one season after they took the Florida Panthers to seven games in the Eastern Conference Second Round. One player who will still be there on Saturday is Auston Matthews, who has six assists during a six-game point streak.

The schedule

Detroit Red Wings at Nashville Predators (2 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, FDSNSO, NHLN)

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NHLN, MSG)

Philadelphia Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, NBCSP)

Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, Victory+)

Carolina Hurricanes at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KHN/Prime, KONG)

Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, KTVD, ALT2)