Avalanche try to extend winning streak to seven
The Colorado Avalanche are looking like the great team I expected them to be this season, and they’ll try to win their seventh game in a row when they visit the Arizona Coyotes (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-A, ALT, NHL.TV). Colorado, second in the Honda West Division, three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights, has outscored opponents 27-7 during its six-game winning streak. Forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are each on a five-game point streak. MacKinnon has scored nine points (four goals and five assists) in that span and Rantanen 10 points (five goals, five assists). Goalie Philipp Grubauer has been outstanding, going 18-7-0 with a 1.74 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and NHL-leading five shutouts in 25 games (24 starts) this season. Arizona, sixth in the West, six points behind the fourth-place St. Louis Blues, is the most recent team to defeat the Avalanche (3-2 on March 8). — Tracey Myers, staff writer
Rangers look to stay hot against Sabres
The New York Rangers are 3-1-1 in their past five and will try to win consecutive games for the first time since March 2-6 (three straight wins) when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSG, MSG-B, NHL.TV). In their past three wins, the Rangers have outscored their opponents 16-1, including a 9-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 17. Mika Zibanejad scored six points (three goals, three assists) in that game, and scored the game-winner in a 3-1 road win against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The Rangers’ No. 1 center seems to have found his stride with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his past eight games after starting the season with two goals in 22 games. A fire seemingly has been lit for the Rangers, who are six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Stanley Cup Playoff spot in the MassMutual East Division. If the Rangers are to continue making up ground, they’ll need to take advantage of a favorable matchup at home against the Sabres, who are 0-11-2 in their past 13 games and could equal the longest streak without a win in the shootout era. The other teams to go 14 games without a win since 2005-06 are the 2009-10 Carolina Hurricanes, 2010-11 New York Islanders and 2014-15 Sabres. — Rob Reese, fantasy editor
McDavid, Oilers start 3-game set in Montreal
Goalie Carey Price skated to his Montreal Canadiens teammates at the end of a 5-4 shootout win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, plucking the invisible monkey off his back and tossing it aside. The Canadiens had just won their first overtime game in 10 tries this season (1-6-3). But Monday comes the challenge of the visiting Edmonton Oilers (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, SNW, NHL.TV), who are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Scotia North Division. The Oilers, in Montreal for three games in five nights, have won three straight and seven of their past nine (7-2-0). Connor McDavid is on a nine-game point streak (seven goals, 13 assists) with an NHL-leading 60 points and his 21 goals have him tied atop the NHL with Toronto’s Auston Matthews. With two assists in a win and two losses against Montreal this season, McDavid seems unlikely to leave town empty-handed. The Canadiens, meanwhile, hope for continued production from their recently reassembled first line of center Phillip Danault between wings Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar. On Saturday they combined for five points (two goals, three assists), and Tatar scored the shootout winner. — Dave Stubbs, columnist
Monday schedule
Buffalo Sabres at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET (MSG, MSG-B, NHL.TV)
Center Ryan Strome has scored six points (one goal, five assists) in a five-game point streak for the Rangers, who are 2-1-0 against the Sabres.
Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET (FS-O, FS-CR, NHL.TV)
This is the third of four straight games played against each other, and the first of two in Columbus. The Blue Jackets defeated the Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime Thursday and 3-2 in a shootout Saturday.
Edmonton Oilers at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET (TSN2, RDS, SNW, NHL.TV)
The Canadiens will be without forward Tyler Toffoli (lower body) for the three-game set against the Oilers. Toffoli leads Montreal and is tied for third in the NHL with 18 goals.
Calgary Flames at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. ET (TSN5, RDS2, SNF, NHL.TV)
The Tkachuk brothers play against each other in the first of two straight games in Ottawa. Matthew Tkachuk has scored seven points (one goal, six assists) for the Flames in the season series; Brady Tkachuk has scored three points (one goal, two assists) for the Senators.
New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSP, MSG+, NHL.TV)
The teams play the final game of a three-game set after the Flyers won 4-3 on Thursday and the Islanders countered with a 6-1 victory Saturday.
Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN, FS-N+, FS-WI+, NHL.TV)
The Ducks, who begin a five-game road trip, are 1-5-0 in their past six games. The Wild have lost two straight after a five-game winning streak.
St. Louis Blues at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+, ATTSN-RM, FS-MW, NHL.TV)
Blues forward David Perron has scored three goals in three games against the Golden Knights, who look to bounce back after a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
Winnipeg Jets at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. ET (NHLN, SNP, TSN3, NHL.TV)
The teams play the first of two straight in Vancouver. The Canucks are 7-1-1 in their past nine games. The Jets have lost three of their past four (1-3-0).
Colorado Avalanche at Arizona Coyotes, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+, FS-A, ALT, NHL.TV)
The Coyotes open a four-game homestand after going 2-3-2 on a seven-game road trip that ended with a 5-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSCA, FS-W, NHL.TV)
Center Anze Kopitar has scored six points (one goal, five assists) in a four-game point streak for the Kings, who are 4-3-1 in their past eight after a 3-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.