Your Week in NHL Hockey, November 6-12: A Dearth of National Games

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 25 – Jonathan Drouin #27 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the Air Canada Centre on October 25, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

Monday, November 7

Nationally televised in the United Sates and/or televised in Canada

Vancouver Canucks at New York Islanders (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network and MSG+; Sportsnet Pacific in Canada)

Locally televised in the United Sates and/or televised in Canada

Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET, NESN and MSG-B; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada)

Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Florida and Sun)

Best bets: Dealer’s choice

Although the Canucks had a great start to the season, they’ve since slipped down to about the middle of the pack in the Pacific Division. That’s not a good look for a division that also contains the Oilers and Sharks. Meanwhile, the Islanders…well, the Islanders are in the lower half of the Metropolitan Division, which also has the Rangers, Penguins, and Capitals.

The Bruins have slipped down a bit as well, although the Atlantic Division looks tough early in the season, and a 6-4 record has already translated into fifth place there for the team. The Sabres, meanwhile, have just lost Zach Bogosian, a major blue-liner, on top of injuries to Evander Kane and Jack Eichel.

As for the Lightning, they, like the Bruins, want to grab some more points for later, and look to do so against an in-division team, which is always helpful for any tiebreakers that may come for the postseason seeding.