Games of the day
Washington Capitals at Vegas Golden Knights (8 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MNMT, NHLN, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS)
Logan Thompson makes his first trip back to Las Vegas since being traded to the Capitals on June 29; the goalie made 24 saves against the Golden Knights in a 4-2 victory at Capital One Arena in Washington on Oct. 15. Vegas (11-4-2) has won its past two games, and Bruce Cassidy can become the 41st coach in NHL history and eighth active with 400 career wins. The Golden Knights are 8-1-0 at home this season, but their eight-game home winning streak ended in a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. Alex Ovechkin continues his red-hot pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record in the building where he and the Capitals won their only Stanley Cup championship. Ovechkin hoisted the Cup at T-Mobile Arena with a 4-3 win in Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. He scored in that game. He has scored eight goals in the past nine games this season, albeit none in the past two, 10 this season and 863 in his career, 31 shy of Gretzky's record of 894. Ovechkin also has points in three straight games (two goals, two assists) and in eight of nine (15 points; eight goals, seven assists). Washington (11-4-1) won 5-2 at the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.
New York Rangers at Seattle Kraken (9 p.m. ET; KHN, MSGSN, KONG)
Artemi Panarin carries a six-game point streak (eight points; four goals, four assists) into the Rangers' only game at Climate Pledge Arena this season. New York (10-4-1) is starting a four-game road trip out west after a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks at home Thursday. The Rangers are 5-0-1 all-time against the Kraken but won't have center Filip Chytil, who did not make the trip after leaving the game against the Sharks with an upper-body injury. Seattle (9-8-1) will try to extend its season-long four-game winning streak in the fifth of a season-long six-game homestand. Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann have been the hottest Kraken players during the streak; Tanev has six points (four goals, two assists), with at least one in all four wins. McCann has seven points (four goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak. Joey Daccord has started all four games, but it's likely Philipp Grubauer is in goal for the Kraken, who won 3-2 against the New York Islanders on Saturday behind 22 saves from Daccord.
St. Louis Blues at Carolina Hurricanes (5 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNSO, SN, TVAS)
It's possible Pyotr Kochetkov will be back in goal for the Hurricanes when they try to extend their home winning streak to seven games against the Blues at Lenovo Center. Carolina (12-4-0) won 4-0 at home against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, when Spencer Martin made 24 saves for his first NHL shutout. Kochetkov didn't dress against the Senators after leaving the game against Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday with an injury, but participated in the morning skate prior to the game against Ottawa and could be ready to go against St. Louis. If he can't, either Martin will play again or Yaniv Perets will make his first NHL start. Perets was recalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Friday and was Martin's backup Saturday. Kochetkov is 8-2-0 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .897 save percentage this season. Martin Necas carries an NHL career-long 12-game point streak (eight goals, 15 assists) into the game. The Blues (8-9-1) ended a four-game skid (0-3-1) with a 3-2 overtime win at the Boston Bruins on Saturday, when goalie Jordan Binnington made 15 saves for his 150th career win. He needs one win to tie Mike Liut for the most all-time by a Blues goalie.
