ESPN·United States·Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 12:15 PM UTC

NHL Tonight: Bruins-Canadiens, Capitals-Devils highlight Thursday's 11-game slate

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ESPN staff

ESPN staffNov 12, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

The NHL's 2026 Global Series hits Finland on Thursday, with a special start time.

But that's just one of 11 games on the schedule, including an Original Six showdown in the Atlantic, two playoff favorites in the Metro vying for critical points and much more.

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.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Seattle Kraken

12 p.m. ET (NHL Network) | CAR -245, O/U: 6.5

Live from Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki, Kaapo Kakko and the Kraken square off against Sebastian Aho and the Hurricanes.

The two teams will meet Thursday and Saturday this week for their lone matchups of the campaign (unless they meet in the Stanley Cup Final). Last season, the teams split the season series, with the home team winning a one-goal game in each instance.

Aho is the Canes' leading scorer with 26 points through 19 games, but the scoring has been spread around; 10 Hurricanes have already hit double digits in points this season.

Kakko trails Berkly Catton on the Kraken's scoring leaderboard (13 to Catton's 14), and six other Seattle players have reached double digits.

Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | BOS -120, O/U: 6.5

The Bruins and Canadiens have been playing against one another since Dec. 8, 1924. This will be regular season matchup No. 769, and the Habs own a 367-286-103-12 edge in the prior 768.

After this showdown, the teams will not face off again until Jan. 6, with a pair of March contests finishing the season series -- and hopefully there will be a postseason meeting as well.

The Bruins score more (3.72 goals per game to 3.33) and allow fewer (2.28 goals per game to 3.06), but just one point separates them in the standings; the B's are first in the Atlantic with 27 points, while the Habs are second with 26.

Captain David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in scoring (24 points in 18 games); for his career, Pasta has 47 points in 36 career games vs. Montreal.

Minnesota Wild at Toronto Maple Leafs

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | MIN -148, O/U: 6.5

Minnesota enters this game having gone 7-1-1 in its last nine, while Toronto is on a four-game losing streak (and lost six of its last seven).

Auston Matthews is having a bounceback campaign, and leads the Leafs in goals (11), assists (17) and obviously points (28). The Wild are paced in goals by Kirill Kaprizov (17) and helpers by Quinn Hughes (21).

The goaltending matchup is the true mismatch, as Jesper Wallstedt leads the league with 12 wins and is among the top five in goals-against average (1.93) and save percentage (.925) while Sergei Bobrovsky has been ... not that. The ex-Panther has a 3-8-2 record, 3.47 GAA and .881 SV%.

Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | COL -125, O/U: 6.5

The Avs head to Canada's capital city looking to improve their record against the Atlantic Division to 4-1-0 following wins over Detroit and Toronto in the past six days.

Meanwhile, the Sens are looking to knock off another 2026 playoff team after recent wins over Buffalo and Utah.

And of course... this could be a Stanley Cup Final preview! Stathletes projects this as the 11th highest chances for a Cup Final matchup, at 2.48%.

Will this be the game in which Linus Ullmark returns to the Senators' crease?

Washington Capitals at New Jersey Devils

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | NJ -155, O/U: 5.5

As play begins Thursday, the Devils are in the No. 2 slot in the Metro, while the Capitals are the first team out of the bracket, two points behind the Panthers for the second wild card.

Famously (or infamously, depending on your point of view), Connor Hellebuyck did not start the Devils' game Tuesday in Winnipeg; will he back between the pipes for this one?

On the other side, fans are still waiting for Alex Ovechkin to get rolling; through 16 games he has just one goal and four assists. On the plus side, offseason additions Jordan Kyrou (14 points) and Alex Tuch (11 goals) seem to have found their grooves.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | TB -118, O/U: 6.5

The 2026 Hart Trophy winner (Nikita Kucherov) and 2026 Norris Trophy winner (Zach Werenski) have both made waves with various levels of trade request in the past several months, although a one-for-one deal doesn't seem likely.

Beyond that, there isn't a ton of shared history between the clubs -- unless we take a time machine back to 2019 when the Blue Jackets swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. Many players from those rosters are now elsewhere, though Kucherov and Werenski played critical roles.

Despite the trade request, Kucherov continues to lead the Lightning in scoring, and that was boosted after Wednesday's hat trick.

Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers

7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu) | FLA -170, O/U: 5.5

The Panthers were a popular Cup pick this preseason, but in order to get back to that spot they will need to start winning games against divisional foes. Florida is 0-4-0 against the Atlantic thus far, including a 5-3 loss to these very same Red Wings on Nov. 2.

On the other hand, the Wings were not a popular pick to even make the playoffs, but have come together as a team and fought hard each night out, galvanizing around the reality that Dylan Larkin (and maybe Simon Edvinsson too) won't be on the team anymore.

Five different players scored for Detroit in the previous game, while the Tkachuk Bros managed just one assist apiece. Will that continue on Thursday?

Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks

8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | BUF -142, O/U: 6.5

Louis Crevier revenge game? The 6-foot-8 defenseman was part of the package that Chicago sent to Buffalo in the Bowen Byram blockbuster, though he has been a healthy scratch recently.

Meanwhile, Byram has not played since Oct. 13, and is not expected off of IR in time for this game either. Byram also missed the Oct. 3 game between the teams (a 4-3 win for the Sabres in Buffalo).

The Blackhawks will take a W against anyone these days, entering this contest having lost six in a row and nine of their last 10. Meanwhile, the Sabres are looking to quickly turn the page after being on the wrong side of an 8-3 game Wednesday.

Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars

8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | DAL -205, O/U: 5.5

Are the Jets for real again? After opening the season 4-1-1, Winnipeg went winless in its next nine... before winning four straight, including three Ws against teams currently in playoff position.

Thursday's matchup will thus serve as a litmus test, as one of those non-victories was against Dallas on Oct. 22. The Jets held a 2-1 lead late in that game, before Roope Hintz tied it with 2:00 to go, then won it with a breakaway tally in OT.

Dallas is led in scoring this season by wingers Mikko Rantanen (21 points in 17 games) and Jason Robertson (19 in 17), while Winnipeg is led by winger Kyle Connor (21 in 19) and center Mark Scheifele (19 in 19).

St. Louis Blues at Utah Mammoth

9 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | UTA -135, O/U: 6.5

Following a loss to the Golden Knights on Wednesday, the Mammoth head home to host the Blues.

St. Louis is enjoying the benefits of Joel Hofer's breakout season in goal, but has not been scoring enough to make a real run up the standings. As play begins Thursday, they sit seventh in the Central Division, three points back of the Mammoth for the final wild-card playoff spot.

Utah has the opposite problem, as it is tied for eighth in scoring (3.50 goals per game), but 25th in goals against per game (also 3.50). Will GM Bill Armstrong make another trade to fix the situation?

New York Islanders at Los Angeles Kings

10 p.m. ET (ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu) | LA -135, O/U: 5.5

In Thursday's nightcap, the Isles continue their tour of California after losing 3-2 in a shootout to the Sharks on Monday -- and prior to a showdown against the Ducks on Saturday.

The Kings are still trying to figure things out under new head coach Peter Laviolette (and in the first season without Anze Kopitar), losing their last two games by a combined score of 8-2.

This is the second game between the teams this season (thus concluding the season series). L.A. won the first thanks to two first-period goals by Artemi Panarin and the OT game-winner by Brandt Clarke.

What do Matthew Schaefer & Co. have in store for their hosts on Thursday evening?

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

Wednesday's scoreboard

Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Buffalo Sabres 3
New York Rangers 3, Calgary Flames 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2 (OT)
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Utah Mammoth 3
Nashville Predators 4, Anaheim Ducks 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 3, San Jose Sharks 2 (SO)

play

1:15

Evan Bouchard nets OT winner for Oilers

NHL scoring leaders

Click here for the full list of stats leaders.

NHL goaltending leaders

Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.

Today in hockey history

One of hockey's greatest traditions is the concept of a hat trick, when a player scores three goals and fans toss their headwear onto the ice.

It's no surprise that Wayne Gretzky is the NHL's career leader in hat tricks, with 50. On today's date in history, he hit one of the round numbers on the way to the half-century mark.

On Nov. 12, 1983, Gretzky scored his 20th career hat trick (and added two assists) as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-3.

This does not appear to be a record that Alex Ovechkin -- the current active leader -- will be able to break; his 34 career hat tricks put him fourth on the all-time list, however.

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