NHL On Tap: Bruins visit Maple Leafs seeking 6th straight win

There are 13 games on the NHL schedule for Saturday, including five nationally televised in Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

You again?

Two very familiar opponents will face off when the Boston Bruins (9-7-0) visit the Toronto Maple Leafs (8-5-1) at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NESN). It's the 47th head-to-head matchup (regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs) between Boston forward David Pastrnak and Maple Leafs forward William Nylander. The two, who played junior hockey together in Sweden and were each first-round picks in the 2014 NHL Draft, are off to great individual starts. Pastrnak leads the Bruins with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) and Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists). Boston is also seeking its sixth straight win.

Oh, Canada

Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid will be teammates with Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, but for now are foes when the Colorado Avalanche (8-1-5) play the Edmonton Oilers (6-5-4) at Rogers Place (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, ALT2, KTVD). McDavid, the Oilers captain, is tied for fourth in the NHL with 21 points (four goals, 17 assists), while MacKinnon is right behind with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists). The two have combined to win the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the most valuable player in the regular season, four times: MacKinnon won in 2023-24 and McDavid in 2016-17, 2020-21 and 2022-23.

Sid still going strong

Sidney Crosby may be 38 years old, but he's playing like he's in the prime of his career. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain has 11 goals, tied for the NHL lead with Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier. He could add to it when the Penguins (9-4-2) play the New Jersey Devils (10-4-0) at Prudential Center (12:30 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSGSN, SN). The only time a player 38 or older led or was tied for the NHL lead in goals at this point of a season or later was last season when Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin did so from Nov. 17-22. The Devils look to remain perfect at home, where they are 6-0-0, although they will be without defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who left Thursday's 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury. Hamilton is expected to be out at least one week.

Something old, something new…

One of three "Hockey Night in Canada" matchups features the League's oldest franchise in the Montreal Canadiens against the youngest in the Utah Mammoth at Bell Centre (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, Utah16). These two teams are also off to great starts, with the Canadiens (9-3-2) leading the Atlantic Division entering Friday, and the Mammoth (9-5-0) third in the Central. Cole Caufield has 10 goals in 14 games this season for Montreal, and Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley are tied for the Utah lead with eight each.

Central showdown

It'll be the second meeting this season between these two division rivals when the Dallas Stars (7-4-3) play the Nashville Predators (5-7-4) at Bridgestone Arena (3:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, Victory+, SN). The Stars were on a seven-game point streak (4-0-3), which included a 3-2 win against Nashville on Oct. 26, prior to their 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Predators have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and six of seven (1-4-2).

The schedule

Pittsburgh Penguins at New Jersey Devils (12:30 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSGSN, SN)

Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers (1 p.m. ET; NBCSP, TSN5, RDS2)

Dallas Stars at Nashville Predators (3:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, Victory+, SN)

Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NESN)

Utah Mammoth at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, Utah16)

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, MNMT2)

New York Islanders at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG)

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MSG-B)

Seattle Kraken at St. Louis Blues (7 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, KHN, KONG)

Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, ALT2,
KTVD)

Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; CITY, SNP, FDSNOH)

Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, KCOP-13)

Florida Panthers at San Jose Sharks (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA)