- Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa on Wednesday when the Panthers visit the Senators
- He has nine points in his last three games, including back-to-back hat tricks
- Read below for the rest of the week’s national TV slate, from the Heritage Classic to McDavid vs. Matthews
Brady Tkachuk is going back to Ottawa, and he is showing up hot.
The Panthers visit the Senators on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET), Tkachuk’s first trip to Ottawa since the Senators traded their former captain to Florida. The game headlines NHL.com’s national TV guide for the week from Kevin Weekes, and Tkachuk comes in with nine points in his last three games.
That stretch includes back-to-back hat tricks. Watch the second one, which he finished in overtime against Vancouver:
We wrote up that overtime winner last week. Tkachuk got off to a slow start in Florida before it all turned.
The Senators weren’t supposed to be this good. Most outsiders expected Ottawa to slide after the trade, and the Sens are 6-3-0. Florida is 5-2-2 and short-handed, with Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Jonah Gadjovich and Radko Gudas all out.
Here is the full national slate for the week:
- Tuesday: Bruins at Stars (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- Tuesday: Lightning at Golden Knights (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- Wednesday: Panthers at Senators (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime in Canada)
- Saturday: Maple Leafs at Oilers (7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet)
- Sunday: Canadiens vs. Jets, Heritage Classic (7 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV, HBO Max)
Tuesday brings Boston into Dallas riding a five-game win streak. Jeremy Swayman has a 1.85 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, and Weekes called his start outstanding.
Saturday gives hockey fans Auston Matthews against Connor McDavid. Matthews has six goals and 13 points for Toronto. McDavid leads the NHL with 23 points in eight games.
Then comes the Heritage Classic on Sunday at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. Kyle Connor has eight goals in eight games for the Jets, and the Canadiens have won four one-goal games. Connor Hellebuyck is still serving a suspension that ends Oct. 23.
Quinn Hughes has a homecoming of his own. The Wild visit Vancouver on Sunday night (10 p.m. ET), and Hughes will be on the other bench.
Tkachuk plays Wednesday first.
