NHL Tuesday Night Preview - Ovechkin Returns against the Rangers

The hockey schedule marches into the middle of November with five games on the ice on Tuesday. NHL BetUS betting has three of the Original Six in action, with New York, Toronto, and Montreal all available for wagering.

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers

The Rangers have a hard time stringing wins together. They've sprinkled victories through a rough start to the season. New York snapped a two-game skid with a 2-1 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, improving to 11-8-1 on the year.

Much like last season, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is keeping New York competitive. The offense is giving him just three goals a game this season, but have fallen below that average in six of their last eight contests. Lundqvist is standing on his head, allowing just 2.51 goals against. He'll have to be at his sharpest Tuesday with Capitals scoring dynamo Alexander Ovechkin expected to return from a strained shoulder.

Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens had their day off taken away from them following a 2-0 loss in Nashville on Saturday night. Head coach Jacques Martin had his team on the ice for a surprise practice Sunday, working on improving shooting and passing after Montreal was blanked in two of its last three games. On the year, the Habs are averaging only 2.3 goals per game, which ranks 27th in the NHL.

Goaltender Carey Price faced 55 shots in the loss to Nashville – 24 of which came in the opening period. Fellow goalie Jaroslav Halak, who leads the team in wins and GAA, was impressive in his last start, allowing just one goal on 31 shots - but a lack of goal support handed him a 1-0 loss to Calgary.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators

The Battle of Ontario takes center stage on Tuesday. The Maple Leafs are back to their old selves, losing three straight games after back-to-back wins last weekend. Toronto's most recent defeat came at the hands of Calgary, which downed the Leafs 5-2 on Saturday. That loss dropped the club to 3-10-5 on the year.

Toronto's anemic offense has continued to struggle. During this three-game skid the team has totaled just two goals per game. However, the Maple Leafs’ power play unit ranks among the finest in the NHL. Toronto is scoring on 25 percent of their man-advantages, including netting both of their goals against the Flames on the power play.