Monday delivers a solid seven-game NHL slate with compelling storylines spanning both conferences. The marquee attraction is Alex Ovechkin continuing his historic goal-scoring record chase as the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers visit Nashville, while the Vegas Golden Knights with newly acquired Mitch Marner head to Utah. Action starts at 7:00 PM ET and runs through the 9:00 PM West Coast window.
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The headline matchup of the evening features Alex Ovechkin continuing his historic chase. Ovechkin has already passed Wayne Gretzky to become the NHLs all-time leader in goals, scoring his 895th on April 6, 2025 against the New York Islanders. He now has 897 total career goals. Ovechkin has found his rhythm recently, scoring seven goals over the past seven games. In November specifically, hes been on the scoresheet consistently, demonstrating the 39-year-old still has plenty left in the tank. Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season on a power play against the Calgary Flames, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to score 30 goals at age 39 or older. Columbus comes in as underdogs in this Metropolitan Division matchup.
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The back-to-back 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers visit Nashville. Florida sits at 11-8-1 overall with an impressive 8-2-1 home record, though this is a road contest. 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 again. Nashville sits at 6-10-4 in the Central Division and has struggled mightily to find consistency. Goaltender Juuse Saros is projected to start but has struggled behind this weak defense, posting a 6-8-3 record with a .896 save percentage.
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The Vegas Golden Knights visit Utah in a rematch of last weeks matchup. Mitch Marner has been a revelation since joining Vegas in a July trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner was traded for Nicolas Roy and subsequently signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with an average annual value of $12 million. In his first 17 games with Vegas, Marner has recorded 19 points with 4 goals and 15 assists. The Golden Knights are 10-4-7 and looking to bounce back after blowing a two-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Logan Cooley leads the Mammoth offense as Utah continues building their franchise identity in their sophomore season.
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The Rangers host St. Louis in a cross-conference matchup at the Worlds Most Famous Arena. New York brings their Metropolitan Division pedigree against a Blues team that has been inconsistent this season. Madison Square Garden provides a significant home-ice advantage.
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The Red Wings visit New Jersey in a Metropolitan matchup. Patrolling the crease for the game will be John Gibson for Detroit and Jacob Markstrom for New Jersey. The Devils have been one of the leagues hottest teams, while Detroit continues their rebuild.
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Tampa Bay hosts their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by Moffitt Cancer Center when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at Amalie Arena. The Lightning sit at 10-7-2 in the Atlantic Division and continue to navigate life in the post-dynasty era.
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The late-night action features Ottawa traveling to Los Angeles for Prime Monday Night Hockey. The Kings (10-6-6) won four straight games but have followed that up with three straight losses (0-1-2). Ottawa brings a competitive squad looking to spoil the Kings attempt to right the ship.