Wednesdays are typically light nights in the NHL, and that's again the case this week. There are just three games for fans to watch, but there are some captivating reasons to tune in for each of them.
You may have heard that Alex Ovechkin is now officially playing his final season, making each matchup between his Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins all that more meaningful. Beyond that, there's a contest between the high-powered Colorado Avalanche and the frisky Winnipeg Jets, as well as an Edmonton Oilers-Anaheim Ducks nightcap.
Here's what to watch in each game:
Odds are provided by DraftKings and subject to change.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals
7:30 p.m. ET (TNT) | WSH -162, O/U: 6.5
Sid and Ovi may be the headliners in this matchup, but these teams are both packed with intriguing players. At age 40, Evgeni Malkin is leading the Penguins in scoring with two goals and two assists. Washington newcomer Alex Tuch netted his first two goals in a Caps jersey in the season-opening win against the Hurricanes. And both clubs have at least one exciting rookie: Penguins goalie Sergei Murashov and Caps defenseman Cole Hutson.
Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets
7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | COL -185, O/U: 6.5
Heading into the season, expectations couldn't have been any different for these two Central Division teams. However, the juggernaut Avs are currently looking up at the Jets in the standings after Winnipeg started the campaign 2-0-1. No Connor Hellebuyck, no problem? Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson have combined for a .918 save percentage through three games. The Avs present a new challenge, of course, having scored 14 combined goals in their first two contests. Nathan MacKinnon has five points through that pair of games -- on pace for 210 in 84.
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks
10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | EDM -125, O/U: 6.5
Speaking of scoring lots of goals, the Oilers also netted 14 in their first two games before "only" three in a win over Seattle on Saturday. The Ducks bring an undefeated record to this game after wins over the Golden Knights and Panthers, and beat the Oilers 4-2 in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. Will they be able to slow down Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard?
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:
Why NHL expansion to Houston makes too much sense
NHL Rank: Who are the top 100 players for 2026-27?
The top NCAA hockey teams to watch for high-end NHL prospects
No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna netted his first NHL goal in the Maple Leafs' 5-4 win Tuesday.
Two days after returning, Brad Marchand exited the Panthers' game against L.A. with a left leg injury.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will not need surgery, and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Alex Ovechkin has announced the 2026-27 season will be his last in the NHL.
The Flyers signed Michael Bunting in order to jumpstart their anemic offense.
Tuesday's scoreboard
Carolina Hurricanes 6, Montreal Canadiens 4
Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Nashville Predators 4 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 5, Ottawa Senators 3
Utah Mammoth 5, New Jersey Devils 3
Buffalo Sabres 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (OT)
New York Rangers 5, New York Islanders 2
Chicago Blackhawks 4, St. Louis Blues 2
Vegas Golden Knights 6, Seattle Kraken 2
Florida Panthers 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
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
Let's go back 36 years to celebrate one of the most iconic players of the past few decades.
On this date in 1990, Penguins rookie Jaromir Jagr scored his first NHL goal. He'd net 26 more in the 1990-91 season, and finish his career with 766.
Almost unbelievably, Jagr suited up in six games for Rytíři Kladno, the team he owns, this past season.
But while the length of his playing career is impressive, so is the abject majesty of his hair during his early days in the NHL: