NHL TV schedule: Outdoor game highlights stacked week

Welcome to Top Shelf TV, a preview of the week’s national NHL TV schedule. 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.

We’re back! And better than ever! We took a few weeks off here from our weekly NHL TV schedule. There are few changes, but the goal remains the same: to watch fun and exciting games.

This week features the first outdoor game of the year, an Original Six blood feud on Rivalry Night, and the introduction of a new feature here at Top Shelf TV: the Cord Cutter Special.

This week starts off with a heavyweight bout on NBCSN Tuesday night, so let’s get to it!

Tuesday

Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Louis Blues (8 P.M. ET/ 5 P.M. PT on NBCSN)

The Good: This should be a knock-down, drag-out matchup between the two best teams in the NHL. Both enter the week tied with a league-best 44 points, with Tampa Bay managing to do so in just 29 games. The Blues are 31 games in but still sit second in the league on point percentage.

The stars – and the offense – are in full force here. Even without Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn are here to kick butt and chew bubblegum. And guess what? They’re all out of bubble gum.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s forward corps includes the top two scorers in the league, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Despite a tough injury history, Stamkos has always been lauded as an offensive force. Kucherov continues to reach new heights as part of one of the scariest top-sixes in the league.

The Bad: Do you want us to nitpick here?

The Verdict: Must watch.