Tampa Bay takes on Dallas + more NHL Games of the Wek
Saturday, January 17th – 10:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks
A tale of two (next to each other geographically) cities/teams. The Kings continue to somehow hold onto a Western wildcard spot (or at least are hovering nearby), while the plucky Ducks suddenly are the unlucky Ducks, losing a boatload of games, and spinning wildly further and further out of that wild Western playoff picture. Except the standings are so bunched up, the Ducks then win a game, and they’re right back in the rat race. The Freeway Faceoff is always a big deal, but particularly this season, when one bad stretch of games will remove you from postseason contention.
Sunday, January 18th – 2:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars
Potential 2026 Stanley Cup Final matchup? Maybe. That’s still a long five months away, so let’s enjoy this Sunday afternoon meeting of two of the true Battleship teams in the NHL. Tampa has been white-hot recently. The Lightning may be the class of an underwhelming East (hello Hurricanes), while the Stars trail only the mighty Colorado River (aka Avalanche) as the top dog in the West (hello Wild). Get yer freshly popped popcorn!
Monday, January 19th – 4:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Washington Capitals at Colorado Avalanche
Speaking of the mighty Avalanche, they’re in action this evening, taking on a Capitals squad that may not post as many points as last season (111) when they took the Metropolitan Division crown, but as of mid-January, they’re still in the Eastern playoff mix. As for the host team, they’re basically running (skating…gliding…) away with the Central Division, the Western Conference, the National Hockey League, and any other bracket/grouping you can think of. Of course, none of that will matter once the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll around in mid-April. Then it’s “what have you done for me lately.” The Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Tuesday, January 20th – 7:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Minnesota Wild at Montreal Canadiens
The Wild are in the running for at least the second spot in the tough Central Division, and while hockey pundits point to a lack of centre depth on the team, the combination of solid goaltending, a superstar scorer, and the acquisition of future Hall-of-Fame defenceman Quinn Hughes has rocketed Minnesota into legitimate Stanley Cup contender territory. The young Canadiens also could use some centre depth (who couldn’t?), and while suggesting a Stanley Cup could be in the mix this spring is a tad premature, Montreal are slowly stockpiling an impressive array of young, talented players.
Wednesday, January 21st – 7:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs
Will the Red Wings finally make the playoff cut for the first time in a decade? They’ve looked good this season, and have been in the mix for top spot in the Atlantic Division for the past few months. They visit a Toronto team that was expected to also be in the running for the Eastern Ocean crown, a division they topped last regular season. A slow start has delayed those plans, but a resurgent Auston Matthews, a commitment to boring, defensive hockey, and solid goaltending have awoken Sleeping Beauty. And hey, winning is never boring.
Thursday, January 22nd – 8:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 167
Florida Panthers at Winnipeg Jets
What the heck is wrong with the Winnipeg Jets? They recently snapped an ugly, ugly 11-game losing streak (ugly), but the grounded Jets are so far from a Western playoff spot, they may as well take the Greyhound bus (do they still run?). And to think this time last year, many thought the Jets and Panthers might meet up in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Didn’t happen, of course, though Florida did get there and claimed their second straight Cup. This time around, the Cats have been a tad slower waking up. Yes, injuries, blah, blah, blah. Nobody else cares. Everybody’s injured. Sure, Barkov and M. Tkachuk are key players, but such absences really test an organization’s depth. Still, most observers believe the Panthers will make the playoffs this time around. Maybe as a wildcard team. Then we’ll really get to test the oft-repeated truism that the “Panthers don’t care where they finish”.
Friday, January 23rd – 7:00 pm Eastern – SiriusXM 91
Vegas Golden Knights at Toronto Maple Leafs
The Return of Mitchell Marner. The highly talented prodigal son plays his first game back in Toronto, where he spent the first nine years of his impressive career. Okay, impressive in the regular season, as any Maple Leafs fan will be quick to tell you. Last week, the Leafs were in Vegas to renew acquaintances with Mitch, and no doubt the creative staff at Scotiabank Centre in Toronto will have a suitable video tribute ready this evening in order to welcome Marner back. Leafs’ fans will politely cheer…then politely boo. All good. What matters are the two (three) points available tonight. The Golden Knights have taken their good ol’ time looking golden, but are expected to make the playoffs, and stand a good chance of finishing first in the underwater, underachieving Pacific Division. Toronto has also taken its sweet time getting going this season, and could still finish in the top three in the more impressive Atlantic Division.
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