NHL November 24, 2025

The headline matchup of this Monday slate features Alex Ovechkin continuing his historic goal-scoring chase. Ovechkin has already passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time leader in goals, scoring his 895th on April 6, 2025 against the New York Islanders. He now sits at 897 total career goals and shows no signs of slowing down. The 39-year-old has been on fire lately, finding the back of the net seven times over his past seven games. In November specifically, he's been on the scoresheet consistently, proving age is just a number for the Russian machine.

Columbus comes into this Metropolitan Division matchup as heavy underdogs. The Blue Jackets are still in rebuild mode, and while they've shown flashes of competitiveness, they lack the firepower to match Washington's top-end talent. The Capitals are rolling at home with a strong record at Capital One Arena, and the crowd will be electric watching Ovechkin add to his legacy. This feels like a spot where Washington controls the game from start to finish.

The back-to-back 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers head to Nashville looking to stay hot. Florida sits at 11-8-1 overall with an impressive 8-2-1 home record, though this road trip presents a different challenge. Captain Aleksander Barkov leads a balanced Panthers attack that has won four of their last five games. Head coach Paul Maurice has this team playing championship-caliber hockey once again, and they carry themselves with the swagger of a team that knows how to win when it matters most.

Nashville is in a rough spot right now at 6-10-4 in the Central Division. The Predators have struggled mightily to find any consistency this season. Goaltender Juuse Saros is projected to start but has been left out to dry behind a porous defense, posting a 6-8-3 record with a .896 save percentage. That's not Saros's fault - he's one of the best in the business - but Nashville just can't keep pucks out of their zone. Florida should handle business here against a demoralized opponent.

The Vegas Golden Knights visit Utah in a rematch of last week's contest. Here's the thing about this Vegas team - they're absolutely loaded after adding Mitch Marner from Toronto in July. Marner was dealt for Nicolas Roy and subsequently signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Vegas. In his first 17 games with the Golden Knights, Marner has recorded 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists). He's been everything Vegas hoped for and then some, fitting seamlessly into their high-powered attack.

Vegas sits at 10-4-7 and is looking to bounce back after blowing a two-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. That's the only knock on this team - they've struggled to close out games, hence all those overtime decisions. Utah, in their second season after relocating from Arizona, continues to build their franchise identity with Logan Cooley leading the offense. The young center has been impressive, but he's going up against a Vegas team with championship DNA and way more depth.

The Rangers host St. Louis in a cross-conference showdown at the World's Most Famous Arena. New York has been solid at home this season, and Madison Square Garden provides one of the best atmospheres in hockey. Igor Shesterkin has been his usual brilliant self between the pipes, giving the Rangers a fighting chance in every game. The forward group led by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad can light it up when they're clicking.

St. Louis comes in at 9-11-2, still trying to find their identity after a busy offseason. The Blues have veteran leadership and championship experience from their 2019 Cup run, but this roster is clearly in transition. They've been inconsistent on the road, and facing Shesterkin at MSG is never an easy task. The Rangers need these two points to stay in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race, and they should take care of business against a struggling Blues squad.

This is a fascinating matchup between two Original Six franchises at different points in their trajectories. New Jersey has been one of the league's hottest teams, and Jack Hughes has elevated himself into the conversation of the NHL's best young players. The Devils' speed and skill can overwhelm opponents, and their transition game is lethal. Jacob Markstrom has solidified the goaltending position, giving them the stability they needed.

Detroit continues their rebuild under coach Derek Lalonde, but the progress has been slower than fans hoped. The Red Wings have some nice pieces with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, but they lack the depth to compete with the league's elite teams right now. Ville Husso has had an up-and-down season in net. The Devils should control this one at home, where their crowd creates a tough environment for visiting teams. New Jersey's speed will be the difference.

Tampa Bay hosts their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Amalie Arena when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. It's always a special night in Tampa, and the Lightning typically play with extra emotion in these games. Tampa sits at 10-7-2 in the Atlantic Division and continues to navigate life in the post-dynasty era. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point can still take over games when they want to, and Andrei Vasilevskiy remains one of the premier goalies in hockey.

Philadelphia is in full rebuild mode and it shows. The Flyers are 8-11-2 and have struggled on the road particularly. They've got some young talent developing, but they're not ready to compete with playoff-caliber teams yet. Travis Konecny continues to be their most dynamic forward, but he needs more help. Tampa should handle the Flyers at home, especially with the emotional boost from the charity night. Look for the Lightning to come out flying early.

The late-night action features Ottawa traveling to Los Angeles for Prime Monday Night Hockey. This is the showcase game of the evening, and both teams will be under the spotlight. The Senators have a ton of young talent with Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk leading the charge. Ottawa has the pieces to be a playoff team, but they've been maddeningly inconsistent. When they play their game, they can hang with anyone. When they don't, they look lost.

Los Angeles is at a crossroads. The Kings (10-6-6) won four straight games but have followed that up with three consecutive losses (0-1-2). That's concerning. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty can't do it alone forever, and the Kings need their supporting cast to step up. The home crowd at Crypto.com Arena will be looking for a response after the recent slide. This should be an entertaining back-and-forth game with both teams trying to prove something on national television.