Preview Roundups
January 12, 2017
Vancouver at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
The positive vibes accumulated during a 10-game winning streak are all but gone for the Philadelphia Flyers, who have dropped nine of their last 11 (2-6-3) to loosen their tenuous grasp on the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With just 18 goals scored in that span, the Flyers look to provide workhorse goaltender Steve Mason with some offensive support on Thursday when they host the Vancouver Canucks.
Pittsburgh at Ottawa 7:30 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a rough start on their three-game road trip but hope to bounce back quickly as they visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Pittsburgh had its five-game winning streak come to a screeching halt Wednesday as it allowed the first three goals at Washington and never recovered, dropping a 5-2 decision.
Buffalo at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM ET
The Buffalo Sabres are a different team since the calendar turned to January and look to continue the ascent Thursday night when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are going in the opposite direction. The Sabres knocked off Philadelphia 4-1 on Tuesday - improving to 3-0-1 this month - and hope to hand Tampa Bay its season-high fifth consecutive loss.
Boston at Nashville 8:00 PM ET
The Boston Bruins continue to thrive on the road and look to continue that trend when they wrap up a four-game road trip with a visit to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. The Bruins erupted for their highest goal total in two months Tuesday in a 5-3 victory at St. Louis, which is among the league leaders in home wins.
Montreal at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
After earning five of a possible six points on their road trip, the Minnesota Wild make a brief stop at home to face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Minnesota went 2-0-1 on its trek and heads back out on the road for two more contests after the showdown with Montreal before returning to Xcel Energy Center for a string of four games.
Detroit at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
The Dallas Stars appeared poised to make a charge up the standings when they put together a season-high three-game winning streak at the end of last month. However, the reigning Western Conference regular-season champions were unable to maintain the momentum and head into Thursday's matchup against the visiting Detroit Red Wings with one win in their last five contests.
New Jersey at Edmonton 9:00 PM ET
Taylor Hall admitted he was caught off guard in the summer when the Edmonton Oilers abruptly traded the former top overall pick to the New Jersey Devils for top-pair defenseman Adam Larsson. Hall will return to Alberta's capital city on Thursday for the first time to face the team with which he spent his first six NHL seasons as the Devils open a four-game road trip versus the Oilers.
Anaheim at Colorado 9:00 PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche will be seeking to win consecutive home games for the first time this season when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. Colorado has been off for five days since topping the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime to end a 10-game slide at home (0-9-1) with its first victory at Pepsi Center since Nov. 15.
St. Louis at Los Angeles 10:30 PM ET
St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock is hoping to find a safe haven away from the Gateway City, a peculiar stance considering his team's considerable struggles on the road. With a 5-10-1 mark away from the Scottrade Center, the Blues begin a three-game, four-day road trip through the Golden State on Thursday when they visit the Los Angeles Kings.