Three games fill Monday’s NHL slate, with milestone pressure on Auston Matthews in Calgary, a fresh face in the Rangers’ crease at Madison Square Garden, and Edmonton’s two biggest stars carrying scorching streaks into a meeting with Detroit.
Key takeaways
- Matthews enters Toronto’s game against Calgary one point shy of 800 for his NHL career.
- The Maple Leafs and Flames both bring winning streaks into their final scheduled game at the Saddledome.
- James Reimer is set to make his Rangers debut against the Kings after signing a one-year deal Sunday.
- Peter Laviolette can pull even with Ken Hitchcock for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time coaching wins list.
- Leon Draisaitl has scored twice in each of his past three outings, while Connor McDavid has points in all 11 Oilers games.
Matthews headlines the Saddledome farewell
Toronto visits the Calgary Flames at 8:30 p.m. ET on SN+ in the last Maple Leafs appearance at Scotiabank Saddledome before Calgary shifts to Scotia Place next season. The building is scheduled to close after this campaign.
Matthews reached 799 career points with a goal in Toronto’s 7-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, the opening stop of a four-game trip. In 702 games, the Maple Leafs captain has collected 437 goals and 362 assists. One more point would make him the fastest player in Toronto history to hit 800, beating Darryl Sittler’s mark of 742 games. Sittler recorded point No. 800 on Nov. 15, 1980.
For U.S.-born players, Matthews would get there second fastest behind Pat LaFontaine, who needed 664 games. Matthews has been productive away from home all season, posting five goals and five assists during a five-game road point streak.
Toronto, 7-4-2, is chasing a fifth straight victory. Calgary is 4-6-0 but has quickly changed the feel of its season after beginning 0-5-0. The Flames have taken four of five, including three straight starts by Devin Cooley. Cooley is 3-0-0 in that run with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .962 save percentage.
Calgary’s Joel Farabee has two goals and four assists over a four-game scoring run. Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato each have a goal and four assists in four games, while Matvei Gridin has two goals and two assists during the same span. Toronto’s William Nylander has three goals and three assists across four games, and Kirill Marchenko has produced two goals and three assists in four straight games with a point.
Rangers turn to Reimer as Oilers chase more history
The New York Rangers put their perfect home start on the line against Los Angeles at 7 p.m. ET, with coverage on ABTV, NHLN, MSG and TVAS. New York is 7-5-1 overall and has won all six games at Madison Square Garden. A seventh straight home win to open the season would leave the Rangers one short of the club record: eight victories to begin the 1990-91 home schedule.
That work in Manhattan has carried extra weight. The Rangers are 1-5-1 on the road and have gone 0-4-1 over their past five away dates.
Reimer gets the net after agreeing to a one-year contract Sunday. Los Angeles, 2-5-2, arrives in the middle of a five-game trip and has split the first three games with a 2-1-0 record.
The Kings’ coach, Peter Laviolette, returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time since the Rangers dismissed him after the 2024-25 season. His next victory would be No. 849, drawing him level with Ken Hitchcock for sixth most in NHL history. Laviolette went 94-59-11 during two seasons behind the Rangers bench and guided the club to the 2024 Eastern Conference Final.
Artemi Panarin is also back in New York for a second time since the Rangers traded him to Los Angeles on Feb. 4. He picked up an assist when the Kings earned a 4-1 win at Madison Square Garden on March 16.
Edmonton closes the night against Detroit at 9:30 p.m. ET on TVAS, SN+ and DSN. Draisaitl takes a six-game goal streak into the game, having scored nine times in that stretch. His 12 goals rank second in the League, and he has posted a pair in each of the past three games.
Another two-goal night would give Draisaitl four consecutive multigoal performances, matching Wayne Gretzky’s 1984-85 Oilers run for second longest in franchise history. McDavid owns the record with five straight in 2022-23. McDavid, meanwhile, leads the NHL with 33 points, including eight goals and 25 assists, through 11 games. He can extend his opening-season scoring streak to 12 games.
The Oilers are 8-2-1 and have won two of three during a five-game homestand. Detroit, 4-4-3, finishes a four-game trip with a 1-1-1 mark so far. The Red Wings saw a six-game points streak, built on a 3-0-3 record, end Saturday in a 4-1 loss at Calgary.
Monday’s schedule
- Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers — 7 p.m. ET — ABTV, NHLN, MSG, TVAS
- Toronto Maple Leafs at Calgary Flames — 8:30 p.m. ET — SN+
- Detroit Red Wings at Edmonton Oilers — 9:30 p.m. ET — TVAS, SN+, DSN
