NHL.com identifies key games and players to watch throughout the 2023-24 season.
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Note: Betting lines provided by Betway (WE, Ontario)
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1. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, SCRIPPS)
VGK currency line: +110
EDM Money Line: -130
The Golden Knights and Oilers meet for the first time since their 2023 Stanley Cup playoff run, when Vegas beat Edmonton in six games in the Western Conference second round en route to its first championship. The Oilers have won back-to-back games and five of their last eight games (including 4-3-0 under new coach Kris Knoblauch), and Vegas is 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Oilers are led by reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, who has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in his last two games and 10 points (five goals, five assists) in six games against Vegas last playoffs to lead this series. Before Evander Kane leads Edmonton with seven goals in seven games under Knoblauch’s direction. Golden Knights Center William Karlsson leads them in goals (10) and points (21 in 22 games) this season.
2. Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN4, BSFL)
FLA puck line (+1.5 goals): -205
Puckline TOR (-1.5 goals): +170
The Panthers will be playing their second straight game after beating the Ottawa Senators 5-0 on Monday, improving to 8-3-0 in their last 11 games. The Maple Leafs return home after losing consecutive road games against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday (4-3 in overtime) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2) on Saturday. The Panthers beat the Maple Leafs 3-1 at home on Oct. 19 and also won their Eastern Conference second-round series against them in five games during the 2023 playoffs.
Florida forward Sam Reinhart scored two goals against Ottawa on Monday, tying him with Brock Boeser Vancouver Canucks and Nikita Koucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the NHL lead in the category (15). Toronto is tied for ninth in the NHL in goals (3.42), led by four players with at least 20 points (William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, John Tavares), while Florida is tied for 19th (3.00). But the Panthers have a better team save percentage (.905; tied for 10th) than the Maple Leafs (.892; tied for 21st).
3. Tampa Bay Lightning at Arizona Coyotes (9 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSSUN)
Over 6.5 goals in total: -115
Under 6.5 total goals: -105
This game features two of the best power plays in the NHL this season; the Lightning are second in power play percentage (33.3) behind the New Jersey Devils (37.5), while the Coyotes rank seventh (25.4). The Coyotes earned a 1-0 shootout victory over the Lightning on Feb. 15 at Mullett Arena last season thanks to a 47-save shutout from the Arizona goaltender. Connor Ingram.
Tampa Bay will be playing its second straight game after Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 22 shots received in its 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday; He earned his season debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, making 22 saves on 24 shots received. Lightning forward Nikita Koucherov leads the NHL in points (36 in 21 games). The Coyotes are coming off a 2-0 road victory over the Golden Knights on Saturday, when Ingram stopped all 34 shots to post his first shutout of the season.
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Canadian readers
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