Preview Roundups
March 25, 2017
Vancouver at Minnesota 2:00 PM ET
With nine games remaining in the regular season, the slumping Minnesota Wild look increasingly likely to be locked into the No. 2 seed in the Central Division. The Wild will be looking to snap out of their funk and wrap up a playoff spot for the fifth consecutive season when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Philadelphia at Columbus 2:00 PM ET
Although the Columbus Blue Jackets' bid for the Presidents' Trophy may have taken a hit following back-to-back losses, coach John Tortorella's charges could get back in the mix among the Metropolitan Division powers on Saturday afternoon if recent history holds true. The Blue Jackets vie for their 10th straight home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers when the clubs play the third contest of their four-game season series at Nationwide Arena.
Calgary at St. Louis 7:00 PM ET
The red-hot St. Louis Blues have bolstered their resume for a sixth straight postseason appearance with victories in nine of their last 10 games while the Calgary Flames have dropped consecutive contests on the heels of a scintillating 12-1-0 run. The Blues will look to strengthen their hold on third place in the Central Division and extend their winning streak to five games on Saturday when they host the Flames.
Toronto at Buffalo 7:00 PM ET
Rookie William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been riding high of late, and their success is showing in the standings. Toronto is hoping Nylander continues his torrid pace as it looks to move closer to second place in the Atlantic Division when it visits the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Ottawa at Montreal 7:00 PM ET
The Ottawa Senators squandered a golden opportunity to move to the top of the Atlantic Division standings last weekend when they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in a home-and-home set. The Senators have refused to go away, however, and can leapfrog the Canadiens for first place when they pay a visit to Montreal on Saturday night.
Chicago at Florida 7:00 PM ET
The Chicago Blackhawks continue to widen their lead in the Central Division and look to extend their point streak to eight games when they start a three-game road trip against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Blackhawks defeated Dallas 3-2 in a shootout Thursday to improve to 6-0-1 in their last seven games and lead Minnesota by eight points in the Central with one more game played.
Carolina at New Jersey 7:00 PM ET
Their playoff hopes all but given up for dead 2 1/2 weeks ago, the Carolina Hurricanes have turned things around and surged back into contention for the second wild card. Buoyed by a nine-game point streak (6-0-3), Carolina moved within five points of the final playoff spot entering Saturday's matchup at the Eastern Conference-worst New Jersey Devils.
Boston at NY Islanders 7:00 PM ET
The Boston Bruins came up short in the key moments down the stretch to miss the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and they have shown signs of late that the same result could occur in 2016-17. The Bruins look to avoid a fifth consecutive loss and break the virtual tie for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, when they visit the surging New York Islanders.
Arizona at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Capitals will look to strengthen their bid for a second straight Presidents' Trophy and set a franchise record for home victories on Saturday should they emerged victorious against the Arizona Coyotes. Washington, which leads second-place Pittsburgh by one point and has a game in hand, skated to its third straight victory overall on Thursday with a 2-1 shootout triumph over Columbus to equal its franchise-best home win total (30), set in 1985-86 and matched in 200
San Jose at Nashville 8:00 PM ET
The San Jose Sharks are in a freefall but hope to end it Saturday as they look to salvage the finale of their four-game road trip with a victory over the Nashville Predators. San Jose suffered a 6-1 loss at Dallas on Friday, extending its losing streak to five games — a slide during which it has scored a total of five goals.
Colorado at Edmonton 10:00 PM ET
The Edmonton Oilers try for their second victory in three days over Colorado when they host the Avalanche on Saturday. Edmonton erased a two-goal deficit by scoring five times in the third period of Thursday's 7-4 victory in Denver for its fifth victory in six games that moved it three points clear of fourth-place Calgary in the Pacific Division and within two points of first behind the red-hot play of linemates Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
NY Rangers at Los Angeles 10:30 PM ET
The New York Rangers are banking that the return of "The King" from a pronounced absence due to a strained hip muscle will pay dividends during their three-game trek through California. Henrik Lundqvist will watch Antti Raanta make his eighth straight start in Saturday's contest versus the Los Angeles Kings before the former Vezina Trophy winner returns to the crease the following night against the Anaheim Ducks.