NHL On Tap: Ovechkin, Crosby headline clash between Penguins, Capitals

Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from the nine games Thursday.

Crosby, Penguins in D.C. to try to shut down Ovechkin, Capitals

I'm always watching when generational stars Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and their teams match up and that happens Thursday when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, SN NOW). Crosby has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his past five games and the Penguins (24-15-8) have points in all of them, going 3-0-2 despite some up-and-down play, for example, their 7-6 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Ovechkin has two goals in his past eight games and the Capitals (25-19-6) are struggling, going 3-6-0 in their past nine games. Ovechkin did not play at the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday and, not surprisingly, it did not go well for Washington in a 6-2 loss. Maybe Crosby will stay hot, or maybe Ovechkin, who scored in a 3-2 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, will get hot Thursday. Regardless of what happens with No. 87 and No. 8, it's a big game for the Penguins and Capitals, who each have 56 points and are currently the two wild-card teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race. A regulation win for Pittsburgh would be significant because it has three games in hand on Washington. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Thompson leads Sabres forward

Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson is playing himself into consideration for the Hart Trophy, voted as NHL Most Valuable Player, and also getting the Sabres (25-19-3) back into the hunt for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. Entering their game at the Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW), Thompson has eight points (two goals, six assists) during a five-game point streak, his fourth streak of at least four games this season. That includes the winning goal, plus two assists, in a 5-3 victory at the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Buffalo's fourth straight win. The Jets were able to hold Thompson off the score sheet in a 4-2 Winnipeg win when the teams played at KeyBank Center on Jan. 12. The Jets (31-17-1) will try for the season sweep as they open a three-game homestand. They've won five straight at Canada Life Centre. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Showdown in the Atlantic

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won 10 straight games at Amalie Arena. But standing between them and their 11th, which would match the longest in their history (in 2019-20), is the Boston Bruins, who are on a history-making pace. The Bruins are 9-0-1 in their past 10 road games, including seven straight wins. Boston (38-5-4) has required the fewest games (47) of any team in NHL history to get to 80 points, putting them 12 points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs, tied for the second-most points in the League wtih 68 each. But the Lightning (30-15-1), who have been to three straight Stanley Cup Finals, loom large and have a chance to take a little wind out of the Bruins' sails (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, BSSUN, NESN, ESPN+, SN NOW). -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Thursday games

Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, BSSUN, NESN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Forward David Pastrnak has 69 points (37 goals, 32 assists) in 47 games and is one of five players in the NHL with at least 30 goals and 30 assists (Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Thompson, Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes). Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has 250 wins in 399 games played, becoming the second-fastest to the mark in NHL history, behind Ken Dryden, who needed 381 games. Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos has a four-game goal streak, with six goals, part of a nine-game point streak (13 points; seven goals, six assists).
Detroit Red Wings at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, BSDETX, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Red Wings (20-18-8) are 2-3-1 in their past six games. Center Dylan Larkin scored his 400th NHL point (162 goals, 238 assists) with an assist in a 3-2 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Canadiens center Kirby Dach reached the 30-point mark for the first time in his NHL career with two goals in a 4-2 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday. Montreal forward Mike Hoffman has a four-game point streak (one goal, three assists). The Canadiens (20-25-3) are 2-2-0 on their current homestand, which ends Thursday.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, SN NOW)
This is the second of three games this season between the Capitals and Penguins. Pittsburgh, which won 4-1 at Washington on Nov. 9, will be without goalie Tristan Jarry, who is out at at least the next two games because of an upper-body injury. The Capitals are 1-for-22 (4.6 percent) with a short-handed goal against on the power play in their past nine games. The Penguins are averaging 4.0 goals per game in their past five games.
Buffalo Sabres at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has five points (one goal, four assists) in his past five games. His 14 goals are a personal NHL best, and the most goals by a Buffalo defenseman since Alexei Zhitnik scored 15 in 1997-98. Jets center Mark Scheifele is one goal from becoming the fourth player in Winnipeg/Atlanta Thrashers history with at least three 30-goal seasons, joining Ilya Kovalchuk (seven), Kyle Connor (four) and Patrik Laine (three).
New Jersey Devils at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton is coming off a game Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights in which he scored with 70 seconds remaining in regulation and then scored in overtime for a 3-2 win. For Hamilton, seventh in the NHL in points among defenseman (42; 13 goals, 29 assists), it was his second overtime goal in as many games for the Devils (31-12-4), who are 7-0-1 in their past eight. The Predators (23-18-6) have won four in a row at home. With an assist Tuesday, forward Filip Forsberg reached 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) for the eighth time in his NHL career, tied with three players in Predators history. Only David Legwand (nine) has more.
Philadelphia Flyers at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN NOW)
The Flyers (20-21-8) have at least one point in 10 of their past 14 games (9-4-1), including a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Forward Travis Konecny is one goal short of his first 25-goal season in the League (49 points; 24 goals, 25 assists). He has scored 24 goals three previous times (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20). The Wild (25-17-4) have lost three straight and enter Thursday out of a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference for the first time since Dec. 9.
Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; SN360, ALT, BSW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Ducks (14-29-5) defeated the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 on Tuesday to end a 1-5-1 skid. Forward Troy Terry scored his first goal in 16 games, though he has had 12 assists in his past 14 games. Center Trevor Zegras has a six-game point streak (five goals, five assists). The Avalanche (26-17-3) have won six straight games, outscoring their opponents 25-8. Center Nathan MacKinnon, who scored his 700th NHL point with an assist Tuesday (255 goals, 445 assists), has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in his past nine games.
Chicago Blackhawks at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, NBCSCH+, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Blackhawks (14-28-4) have lost two straight after going 6-1-0 in their previous seven, and have been outshot by a combined 107-51 in their past three games. The Flames (23-16-9) will be without defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body), who will miss the Calgary's next two games after leaving 8:20 into a 4-3 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
St. Louis Blues at Arizona Coyotes (9 p.m. ET; BSAZ, BSNW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Blues (23-22-3) are 2-4-0 in their past six games. Center Jordan Kyrou needs one assist to reach 100 in his career. With 218 games played, he can become the sixth fastest skater to reach 100 assists after starting their career with the Blues, behind Joe Mullen (163), Mike Zuke (175), Wayne Babych (175), Bernie Federko (179) and Jorgen Pettersson (196). The Coyotes (15-28-5) are 2-12-0 in their past 14 games and have allowed a power-play goal in eight consecutive games (eight goals on 26 power plays).