NHL Tonight: Bruins-Canes highlights another massive night of games

After Tuesday's games, a full four weeks of the 2026-27 NHL season will be in the books. There have been plenty of shocks and surprises, and the schedule of games coming up promises even more. It's not surprising that the Hurricanes are in first place in the Metro; it's quite a bit surprising is that the Bruins are tops in the Atlantic. Those two teams meet in Tuesday's marquee matchup (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), but there's 10 other games to monitor too. Here's 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. Columbus Blue Jackets at Philadelphia Flyers 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | CBJ -115, O/U: 5.5 Speaking of surprises, no one predicted that these two teams would be bringing up the rear in the Metro at this juncture, but here we are. (The Blue Jackets do get a little grace, as they've played just nine games so far for some reason.) Philly has been the beneficiary of a recent heater by Matvei Michkov, and he now leads the team in points (eight goals, two assists). Columbus enters this game having won an overtime thriller over Vegas in its last game, with Adam Fantilli notching the game-winner. Which young star shines brightest on Tuesday? Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) | CAR -192, O/U: 6.5 These two franchises have had quite a history, going back to 1979-80 when the Canes were still the Hartford Whalers. Overall, the B's hold a 115-80-24 record against Hartford/Carolina in the regular season, and a 26-16 edge in the postseason. More recently, the Bruins won in the 2019 conference finals and the 2020 first round, while the Canes won a first-round matchup in 2022. From a stats perspective, both teams have a player in the top 10 in scoring (Sebastian Aho, David Pastrnak) as well as save percentage (Pyotr Kochetkov, Jeremy Swayman). Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | LA -118, O/U: 5.5 Both teams enter this matchup thankful that the Canucks exist, as Vancouver is keeping them out of the NHL's basement. But on a personal note, it's a reunion of sorts with former linemates Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane (who played together in Chicago in 2015-16 and '16-17, as well as New York in spring of 2023). The Blackhawks got a Connor Bedard bump upon the captain's return -- winning two games in a row -- before losing the next three. L.A. won two in a row before losing to a Devils team that was fired up about acquiring Connor Hellebuyck the day prior. Montreal Canadiens at St. Louis Blues 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | STL -118, O/U: 6.5 The Canadiens continue to be without leading scorer (and captain) Nick Suzuki, as he recovers from an upper-body injury. Goaltender Jacob Fowler continued his breakout campaign, backstopping the Habs to a 2-1 win in the Heritage Classic on Sunday night. On the other side, the Blues have gone undefeated against Canadian teams so far, winning 7-2 against the Senators and 2-1 against the Jets. Will they make it 3-0? New York Islanders at Nashville Predators 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | NSH -118, O/U: 5.5 The Preds have a formula for success this season: when scoring three or more goals this season, they've gone 2-0-1. The issue here is that they'll be welcoming one of the NHL's stingiest defensive teams to Bridgestone Arena. Thanks to Ilya Sorokin -- and a strong defensive structure -- the Isles have allowed just 2.55 goals per game, which is fifth fewest in the league. Which side blinks first? New Jersey Devils at Dallas Stars 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | DAL -142, O/U: 5.5 It's probably too soon to expect newest Devil Connor Hellebuyck to be between the pipes for this showdown. But for fans of elite netminding, may we interest you in some Jake Oettinger? The Stars' franchise tender has a 6-2-1 record, with a 1.43 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. Both teams come in to this matchup hot, as the Devils have won five of their last six and the Stars have won all five of their last five. Florida Panthers at Winnipeg Jets 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | FLA -130, O/U: 5.5 It's rare that a pair of interconference opponents play two games against one another so close on the calendar, but that's exactly what's happening this week for the Panthers and Jets. After this matchup Tuesday, they'll play again in Sunrise on Friday. Given the tight proximity between matchups, might there be some message-sending or tone-setting in this one? Minnesota Wild at Utah Mammoth 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | UTA -142, O/U: 6.5 There's no clearer way to set the stakes here: the winner of this game will be in first place in the Central Division after four weeks. Most expected the Wild to be one of the Central powerhouses again, but the Mammoth have arrived ahead of schedule. On an individual basis, it's worth mentioning Kirill Kaprizov, who has 13 goals this month. That is three off of the record for goals in a single October, held by Mario Lemieux. On the Utah side, Clayton Keller's 15 points through 12 games put him on pace for 105 points, which would be a career high and make him the first triple-digit scorer in franchise history. Ottawa Senators at Vegas Golden Knights 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | VGK -162, O/U: 6.5 Has the rest of the NHL figured out the Golden Knights? Vegas enters this game on a three-game losing streak, though they remain in second place in the Pacific Division thanks to an 8-2-0 start. The Sens have been on opposite sides of lopsided affairs the past three games -- a 5-1 win over the Panthers, then a 6-2 loss to the Sharks, then a 7-4 win over the Rangers. Which team's superstar will reign supreme on Tuesday? Ottawa's Tim Stutzle has 16 points through 12 games, while Vegas' Jack Eichel has 19 through 13. Vancouver Canucks at Anaheim Ducks 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | ANA -198, O/U: 6.5 The popular internet phrase is "I just hope both teams have fun." Well, based on the goals-against average of these clubs, it looks like they will! The Canucks enter the contest with an NHL-worst 4.62 goals allowed per game, while the Ducks aren't much better, sitting 24th with 3.36. And if you like how the game goes Tuesday, these two will match up again on Tuesday Nov. 3 as well. Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) | BUF -135, O/U: 6.5 The Sabres ended the longest postseason drought in the NHL last season, returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs after 14 seasons out. The Sharks haven't gone that long without a playoff berth, but they are hoping to end their seven-year drought with a return this spring. The player to watch here, as always with the Sharks, is Macklin Celebrini. Despite missing two games, the EA Sports cover athlete leads the team in scoring (five goals, 10 assists), six points clear of second place. Buffalo has been led by breakout winger Jack Quinn, who has 11 points in 11 games, well ahead of his career-high pace of 51 points from last season. As for recent history, these two teams split the 2025-26 season series, with the home team winning each game. Reminder: Fans can catch all the action in the NHL streaming hub and on the ESPN App. Jump ahead: Top NHL stories Last night's scores NHL stats leaders Today in hockey history Top stories around the NHL Here's what you need to know: The latest Wysh List column, on the rise in fighting this season. It's a fantasy hockey takeover of the Power Rankings! Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash identify a worthy pickup from each team. Connor Hellebuyck has been traded to the Devils. Ryan S. Clark grades both teams on the swap. Canes, Alexander Nikishin reach agreement on a one-year, $3 million deal. Nikita Kucherov passed Steven Stamkos to become the Lightning's all-time points leader. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki will be out two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. Monday's scoreboard Los Angeles Kings 6, New York Rangers 3 Calgary Flames 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Detroit Red Wings 4, Edmonton Oilers 3 (SO) NHL scoring leaders Click here for full list of stats leaders. NHL goaltending leaders Click here for the full list of goaltender stats. Today in hockey history These days, it's not uncommon to see many European players on an NHL roster. It was a bit more rare in 1995, particularly when considering Russian players. But on Oct. 27 of that year, Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman deployed the "Russian Five" on the ice together for the first time. The group consisted of Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Viacheslav Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov, and all had played previously for the Red Army team in the U.S.S.R. Of the group, Fedorov, Larionov and Fetisov have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.