NHL Schedule: Sharks and Lightning Highlight Packed Week

Welcome to Top Shelf TV, a preview of the week’s national NHL schedule and television listings. We comb through what’s airing on NBC, NBCSN, and NHL Network to tell you which games are worth your time and which ones to skip.

As the calendar turns to November, The Scheduling Gods™ give us one of our most packed weeks of the year. Thanks to a crazy European vacation (no, not that European Vacation) the national NHL schedule and TV listings include not one, not two, but four doubleheaders. There’s also a busy week on the West Coast for all you night owls.

It starts slow, but it picks up quick, so let’s get to it!

Tuesday

Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres (7 P.M. ET/ 4 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

Why you should watch: The Capitals have had an up and down season so far, but they’re back above .500 and hold the second wild card in the East after last night’s win over the Arizona Coyotes.

That game – where the Capitals spotted an atrocious Coyotes team a 2-0 lead – might trouble some Caps fans. But it was fun to watch. As is this team. Alex Ovechkin is no longer on pace for a 246-goal season, but he’s still a human highlight reel. Anytime the Great Eight plays, you should watch. Cherish him.

Skip it if: You hate to see wasted potential. The Sabres are bad. They were bad the last time they appeared here. They’ve won one of their last four (against the Coyotes, coincidentally). We can only post so many Jack Eichel highlights.

The Caps might be an exciting team chasing a Cup before their window closes, but they also come in on short rest. As much fun as the OT win was last night, that kind of emotional drain plus travel does not bode well.

Verdict: Skip it.

Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks (10 P.M. ET/ 7 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

Why you should watch: The Battle of California heads south as these two division rivals duke it out.

We expected these teams to be about where they are in the standings: one leading the division, one mired in mediocrity. We didn’t expect the Kings to be that division leader. They were supposed to come back down to Earth after an Oct. 19 injury to Jeff Carter, but they’re keeping their collective heads above water.

Things aren’t all puppy dogs and ice cream in LA, but the team has gone 5-2-1 since losing Carter.

Also, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Anze Kopitar is a wizard. Look at the patience on that assist. Kopitar isn’t quite Harry Potter, but he’s at least one of those other good quiditch players.

Skip it if: You hate missing star players. The Ducks struggles in the standings mirror their injury report. Ryan Getzlaf is back on the IR after taking a puck to the face last week.

Verdict: Worth watching if you’re on the West Coast, but not worth staying up for after that early dud in the Eastern Time Zone.

Wednesday

Boston Bruins at New York Rangers (8 P.M. ET/ 5 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

Why you should watch: Two Original Six playoff teams square off on Rivalry Night. Good on you, NBCSN.

For all of their early struggles, the New York Rangers have now won four in a row. They’ve scored 18 goals in that span. The Rangers may not even be in a playoff spot at the moment, but they have found their footing. They’ve won four straight, even if they haven’t looked pretty while doing it.

Skip it if: Goaltending is key to you. While Boston’s Tuukka Rask and New York’s Henrik Lundqvist are two of the biggest names in the NHL, they haven’t played like it this year. Despite the Rangers recent run, Lundqvist still looks to be over the hill. Rask is sitting on a .900 even strength save percentage this year.

Verdict: Worth watching. This could be a high scoring affair, and it’s the appetizer for a wonderful main course in San Jose.

Tampa Bay Lightning at San Jose Sharks (10:30 P.M. ET/ 7:30 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

Why you should watch: What a difference a few weeks makes. We’re still early in the season, so sample sizes are small, but San Jose has found their way back into the playoff hunt in the West.

They enter the week having won four in a row.  Stellar play from Martin Jones (and the first win of the year by backup Aaron Dell) is the main reason, as he asserts himself among the league’s more dependable starters.

The Lightning are off to a torrid start, with 24 points in their first 15 games. It’s the front half of a back-to-back for Tampa Bay and part of a larger three-game California road trip. Still, they come in rested boasting a one-two punch of Steven Stamos (league leader in assists and points) and Nikita Kucherov (the current favorite for the Rocket Richard Trophy).

Something has to give in this matchup between staunch defense and high flying offense.

Skip it if: Don’t. Just don’t. Get your coffee ready East Coasters, this should be a fun one.

Verdict: Must watch.

We get a day off before a packed weekend on the NHL Network.

Friday

Ottawa Senators at Colorado Avalanche (2 P.M. ET/ 11 A.M. PT on NHL Network)

Why you should watch: In baseball, they call this the Businessman’s Special: a midday weekday game and an excuse to knock off early.

There’s a lot of moving parts here. The odd start time is because the game is in Sweden as part of the NHL’s Global Series. No doubt a great opportunity for both captains – Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog and Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson – to play in front of a home crowd.

Then there’s the blockbuster trade this week. In case you haven’t heard, Ottawa acquired a guy by the name of Matt Duchene in a blockbuster trade… from Colorado. This should get emotional real quick. The NHL doesn’t have much pettiness, unlike the NBA. But there should be PLENTY of it to go around on Friday.

Skip it if: Neither of these teams is particularly interesting. Despite some early season wins, Colorado is in complete rebuilding mode for a reason: they’re terrible.

The Senators were one OT goal away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and Erik Karlsson is one of the most exciting players in the sport. This team is also boring as all get out to watch.

Verdict: Must watch. If you can swing blowing off work, school, or family obligations, you get to stretch your weekend out. And you get to do it for hockey.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (7 P.M. ET/ 4 P.M. PT on NHL Network)

Why you should watch: Pittsburgh Penguins fans never tire of schadenfreude: beatings the Washington Capitals is almost as much fun for these people as a Stanley Cup parade down the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh.

It’s not the most storied rivalry in the NHL, but since the 2004-05 lockout no two teams have been as inextricably linked as Pittsburgh and Washington. And no two players have been as inextricably as Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.

This game is playoff defeats and a division rivalry and star players. For our money – despite all the young talent entering the league, all the animosity in the Central, and the Original Six match ups in the Atlantic – it’s the premiere match up in the NHL.

Skip it if: Don’t. Just don’t.

Verdict: Must watch.

After a long, emotional, and fun Friday, the rest of the weekend tapers off. There’s still some upside though.

Saturday

Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators (12 P.M. ET/ 9 A.M. PT on NHL Network)

Why you should watch: Everything we said yesterday holds true here. These teams go back-to-back in Sweden.

Skip it if: It’s hard to justify skipping such an early game. This is kegs and eggs territory for those of you on the West Coast.

These teams are going to be in a rough spot though. A jet-lagged back to back is no one’s idea of an exciting game. And the emotional letdown could be tremendous after a rough Friday.

Also, let this be a friendly reminder the trap is bad and Guy Boucher should feel bad for making us watch it. But it does win games. Still, doesn’t justify boring hockey.

Verdict: Depends on your time zone. We’ll actually advocate getting up early on the West Coast, but it’s skippable if this will take a chunk out of your Fall afternoon in the East.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins (6 P.M. ET/ 3 P.M. PT on NHL Network)

Why you should watch: This is a match up between two Original Six division rivals who made the playoffs last year.

Skip it if: The injury bug frustrates you. As terrible as Tuukka Rask has been, we should at least be able to enjoy the top end talent on the Boston Bruins. Unfortunately, the Hockey Gods do not want us to have nice things, and Brad Marchand is out.

The Leafs have struggled to find any level of consistency this season. You just don’t know what team you’re going to get, but lately it hasn’t been pretty.

Verdict: Skip it.