3 NHL games to watch Saturday

An 11-game schedule means more than 70 percent of the NHL's teams are in action Saturday, and there are a few contests in particular that you won't want to miss.

A couple of all-Canadian matchups and a battle between two intriguing clubs highlight the busy slate.

Here are three contests worth watching Saturday:

Buffalo Sabres at Minnesota WildBruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty

Two of the NHL's most interesting teams clash at 6 p.m. ET when Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, and the Sabres try to solve Devan Dubnyk and the Wild.

Minnesota has the fourth-best record in the league so far this season and Dubnyk is the biggest reason why, going 9-4-2 with a .926 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average in his first 15 games.

Skinner has been red-hot in his first campaign with Buffalo, a team that has now won four straight games. The 26-year-old has 21 points in 19 contests and his 14 goals are second only to Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak. Eichel hasn't exactly been filling the net, but he's set up plenty of teammates, notching 16 assists for 20 points.

Throw in first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin for the Sabres, along with dynamic Wild winger Mikael Granlund and resurgent veteran Zach Parise, and there's no shortage of reasons to tune in for this one.

Montreal Canadiens at Vancouver CanucksDave Reginek / National Hockey League / Getty

Elias Pettersson has been sensational for the surprising Canucks, leading all NHL rookies with 10 goals and 17 points despite missing six games with a concussion.

The Calder Trophy favorite has helped his team climb into a playoff spot in the early going, while Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen, and the injured Brock Boeser (when healthy) have given Vancouver fans hope for both the present and future. Even 33-year-old Loui Eriksson seems to have taken a drink from the fountain of youth, ranking third on the team with 12 points.

Montreal has also exceeded early-season expectations, thanks in large part to trade acquisitions Max Domi and Tomas Tatar, who rank first and second on the team in points, respectively. Few thought the Canadiens would be competitive this year, but they lead the NHL in five-on-five goals and came into Saturday occupying a wild-card spot despite up-and-down play from Carey Price.

Edmonton Oilers at Calgary FlamesDerek Leung / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Battle of Alberta rarely disappoints. That's particularly true these days with Connor McDavid and Johnny Gaudreau involved.

McDavid needs a deeper supporting cast, but he seems to do something special almost every time he touches the puck. The Oilers' superstar is producing at his usual torrid pace, sitting tied for second in the league with 26 points while averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time.

The Flames have some star power and young talent of their own, with Gaudreau on a point-per-game pace and 20-year-old Matthew Tkachuk leading all Calgary skaters with 21 points.

David Rittich has kept the Flames competitive with his strong play in the crease, but McDavid will obviously present a rather large challenge for the Calgary goaltender - even if he didn't want to think about it Friday night.

Asked Rittich if he was going to stay up and watch Connor McDavid's clips tonight: "I don't want to watch highlights of him or anything."

- Kristen Anderson (@KdotAnderson) November 16, 2018

Bold strategy, David. Let's see if it pays off.

Copyright (C) 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.