Monday’s four-game NHL slate has an early-season edge to it: the San Jose Sharks are chasing a 3-0-0 start in Dallas, the Pittsburgh Penguins are filling the net behind their veteran core, and the Philadelphia Flyers are trying to stop a rough opening slide. Ottawa, Boston, Winnipeg and Tampa Bay round out a compact night of hockey across the league.
Monday night notebook
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Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. ET
Philadelphia arrives at Benchmark International Arena still looking for its first win at 0-1-2. The Flyers have been beaten 13-4 through three games and are monitoring defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who played only one shift in the third period before leaving Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed injury. Coach Rick Tocchet had no update after Sunday’s practice.
Tampa Bay is 1-1-0 and opens the second leg of a three-game homestand after a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Jake Guentzel broke through for his first points of the season with one goal and two assists.
Broadcast: The Spot, NHLN, NBCSP.
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Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Bruins bring a 2-1-0 record into the first game of a three-game stay at TD Garden, with Jeremy Swayman setting the tone in goal. Swayman is 2-0-0 in two starts, carrying a 1.47 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage and one shutout.
Ottawa, 1-0-0, comes off a 3-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. This is the middle stop of a three-game trip and begins a back-to-back; the Senators head to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Tuesday. Defenseman Jake Sanderson could miss the game after aggravating an undisclosed injury and exiting Saturday’s game at 12:45 of the opening period.
Broadcast: NESN, SN+, TVAS.
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Winnipeg Jets at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh has opened 2-0-0 and scored 13 times in those two outings, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin driving the offense. Crosby needs one primary assist to match Jaromir Jagr’s 684 for fifth place in NHL history. He is also two assists away from tying Ray Bourque’s 1,111 assists with the Boston Bruins, the most assists recorded for one franchise.
Malkin has scored in both Pittsburgh games. At age 40, he is the second player that old to score in each of his club’s first two games of a season, joining Gordie Howe, who accomplished it in 1968-69.
Winnipeg is 1-0-1 and has Kyle Connor rolling early. Connor scored both of his goals on the power play in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Detroit, moving to 75 career power-play goals for the Jets, fifth in franchise history. Mark Scheifele sits fourth with 96. Last season, Connor posted 92 points on 39 goals and 53 assists, second on Winnipeg behind Scheifele’s 103-point campaign.
Broadcast: SN-PIT, SN+.
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San Jose Sharks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m. ET
San Jose gets the spotlight in the first Prime Monday Night Hockey game of the season, taking a 2-0-0 record into American Airlines Center. The Sharks have never before won their first two games of a season, and Macklin Celebrini has been central to the fast start.
Celebrini owns five assists through two games, tying Joe Thornton in 2012-13 and Vincent Damphousse in 1999-00 for the most by a Shark at that point of a season since the franchise entered the NHL in 1991-92.
Dallas is 0-2-0 and searching for more offense after managing one goal in two games. The Stars averaged 3.33 goals per game last season, ninth-best in the NHL.
Broadcast: Prime Video, NBCSCA.
