NHL Previews

The Montreal Canadiens head to KeyBank Center on Saturday night looking to keep pace in a tight Atlantic race, but they run into a Buffalo team that has been one of the league’s most reliable home sides and is playing with real confidence right now. Buffalo has already beaten Montreal twice this month, and this is another high-leverage divisional spot

The Nashville Predators head to UBS Arena to face the New York Islanders on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. Nashville has been treading water lately, while New York is starting to look like a team that knows exactly what it wants to be, especially in these divisional-style grind games. The Islanders

The New Jersey Devils visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre, with a 7:00 PM start on ESPN+. New Jersey comes in 28-24-2, Ottawa is 25-21-7, and both are basically stuck in the same conversation: win now, or the math gets ugly fast before the Olympic break. This one has a weird feel because

The Dallas Stars hit the road to face the Utah Mammoth on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Puck drop is set for 9:00 PM on ESPN+. Dallas comes in 31-14-9 and playing its best hockey of the month, while Utah is 28-22-4 and still very much in the Central mix even after that

The Seattle Kraken head to T-Mobile Arena to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 10:00 PM. ESPN+ has the broadcast. Seattle is 25-19-9 and trending up fast with three straight wins, while Vegas is 25-15-14 and sliding at the worst time with three straight losses and five defeats in its last six. This is a

Minnesota heads to Rogers Place to face Edmonton on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with puck drop set for 10:00 PM and ESPN+ carrying the broadcast. The Wild sit at 31-14-10 and have played like a real contender lately, while the Oilers are 28-19-8 and finally stacking wins, even if they’re still making life harder than it needs to be early

The Columbus Blue Jackets head to the United Center to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, January 30, 2026 at 8:30 PM. NHLN has the broadcast, and the setup is pretty clean: Columbus is 25-20-7 and trying to keep momentum after a solid stretch, while Chicago is 21-25-9 and looking for a response after another rough defensive night. This is

Colorado Avalanche vs Montreal Canadiens Game Preview The Colorado Avalanche visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7:00 PM ET at the Bell Centre on ESPN+. Colorado is 35-7-9 and still sitting on top of the league picture, but they’ve hit a real wobble with only two wins in their last seven (2-3-2). Montreal is 29-17-7, holding

New York Islanders vs New York Rangers Game Preview The New York Islanders head to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. The Islanders are 29-19-5 and pushing for position in the Metro. The Rangers are 22-26-6 and stuck in a spiral that’s forced the organization to