EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThere are six games on the NHL schedule for Wednesday, including a trio of Metro Division teams facing off against Pacific Division foes, two wild-card hopefuls matching up in Orange County, and a critical clash between the Lightning and Sabres in Buffalo.But the marquee matchup is Utah Mammoth-Vegas Golden Knights. It's a rematch of the clubs' first-round playoff series this past spring, and a battle between two teams that seem poised to have long postseason runs in 2027.Read on for a look at what you need to know for each game, including betting info and broadcast details.Odds are provided by DraftKings and subject to change.Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres7 p.m. ET (TNT) | TB -125, O/U: 6.5With teams approaching the quarter mark of the 2026-27 season, there's more information and smarter projections on how each will finish.Tampa appears well on its way to earning another postseason slot, while Buffalo has a bit of work to do.This is the first of four meetings between these teams this season after the duo staged one of the best games of the entire 2025-26 season on March 8. The Sabres' 8-7 win included wild streaks of goals from both teams (and three lead changes), as well as 102 combined penalty minutes.Will Wednesday's bout be as rough and tumble -- and high-scoring?New York Rangers at Calgary Flames7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | NYR -135, O/U: 5.5After a 3-1 loss to the Flames' Alberta neighbors in Edmonton on Monday, the Rangers get another chance to leave the province with some points.The Flames have been better than their humble expectations thus far, entering play Wednesday in fifth place in the Pacific Division. A big part of that has been the power play, which is converting at a 28.6% rate that is fifth in the NHL.New York has been better than some expected, currently holding the No. 3 seed in the Metro. The Rangers have been aided by a glow-up season by Alexis Lafreniere (18 points in 19 games) and a bounce-back campaign for Adam Fox (22 in 19).Philadelphia Flyers at Edmonton Oilers9 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | EDM -218, O/U: 6.5At the start of this season, this game looked tantalizing; after all, it featured a matchup of two teams that made the playoffs in 2026.Then the season began, and the results could not look any more different for the clubs.Edmonton's offensive onslaught has two players leading for NHL Awards, with Connor McDavid threatening to breach the 200-point benchmark by season's end. It sits atop the Pacific, with a 13-3-3 record.Philadelphia has had issues in all three zones, resulting in a minus-21 goal differential and a 5-10-5 record after winning a playoff round in the spring with largely the same roster.Can the Flyers mount a serious challenge here or will it be another scorefest for McDavid and his pals?Utah Mammoth at Vegas Golden Knights9:30 p.m. ET (TNT) | VGK -125, O/U: 6.5The Golden Knights sit right behind the Oilers in the Pacific, while the Mammoth have slid down the Central standings following a hot start that had them in first during October.But beyond the standings, this game should have some juice given how hard the two clubs battled this past spring in the Knights' 4-2 series win in the first round of the playoffs.Each team is led in scoring by a 2026 U.S. Olympian -- Jack Eichel for the Knights and Clayton Keller for the Mammoth -- who has 24 points. While Vegas has six players who have double-digit points, Utah has seven.Goal suppression has been a stronger component for the Golden Knights thus far, as the 2.63 goals per game they are allowing is fifth in the NHL, compared with 3.50 per game allowed by the Mammoth (24th).Can Utah muster something extra for this Western showdown to overcome that deficiency?Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | ANA -148, O/U: 6.5Another sneaky-fun West Coast game, as both the Predators and Ducks enter this game riding five-game winning streaks -- and in playoff position as play begins Wednesday.Beyond those similarities, these teams are a study in contrasts, particularly when it comes to the relative ages of their key contributors.The Preds are led in points by Filip Forsberg (age 32), in goals by Steven Stamkos (36) and in assists by Roman Josi (36).The Ducks are led in those categories, respectively, by Leo Carlsson (21), Cutter Gauthier (22) and Jackson LaCombe (25).Does the team with the experienced vets take over, or will it be another one for the youngsters?Pittsburgh Penguins at San Jose Sharks10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | PIT -125, O/U: 6.5Pittsburgh enters this contest in Northern California after going 1-1 against the Sharks' SoCal neighbors -- defeating the Kings 5-2 but losing to the Ducks by the same score.This is the first matchup between the teams this season, and both are in desperate need of points after lackluster starts.Last season, the Penguins won 3-0 at the Shark Tank on Oct. 18, while the Sharks won an epic thriller -- 6-5 in OT -- on Dec. 13 in Pittsburgh, erasing a four-goal third-period deficit before John Klingberg netted the game winner.Which type of game will we get this time around?Reminder: Fans can catch all the action in the NHL streaming hub and on the ESPN App.Jump ahead:Top NHL storiesLast night's scoresNHL stats leadersToday in hockey historyTop stories around the NHLHere's what you need to know:Greg Wyshynski polled PHWA voters for the November edition of NHL Awards Watch.The latest NHL Power Rankings include a fantasy hockey surprise for all 32 teams.Where will Nikita Kucherov land next? The latest Wysh List column identifies the top contenders.The NHL's Hometown Remix jerseys have been revealed. Wyshynski ranks all 32, and investigates the Panthers' unis in depth.Devils goalie Connor Hellebuyck reveals why he wanted out of Winnipeg.Alex Ovechkin doesn't weigh in on allowing Russia in international tournaments: "It's not up to us."Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron among six inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.The Kings are getting healthier, with Kevin Fiala expected back this week.Tuesday's scoreboardColorado Avalanche 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3Minnesota Wild 2, Montreal Canadiens 1 (OT)Washington Capitals 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (OT)Winnipeg Jets 4, New Jersey Devils 2Florida Panthers 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 1St. Louis Blues 3, Detroit Red Wings 2Nashville Predators 3, Los Angeles Kings 0NHL scoring leadersClick here for the full list of stats leaders.NHL goaltending leadersClick here for the full list of goaltender stats.Today in hockey historyHigh-scoring hockey games are a fun watch (for non-goalies). On this date over four decades ago, one of the highest-scoring games of all time occurred -- at least for one team.The NHL record for goals by one team in a game is 16, set on March 3, 1920, by the Montreal Canadiens against the Quebec Bulldogs. On Nov. 11, 1981, the Minnesota North Stars were one goal shy of that mark, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 15-2.The score was 4-2 North Stars at one point in the second period, but the game got lopsided thereafter as Minnesota scored 11 straight tallies.Bobby Smith had the biggest night on the stats sheet, with four goals and three assists. He finished the 1981-82 campaign with 43 goals and 71 assists (both career highs).
