Preview Roundups
February 18, 2017
St. Louis at Buffalo 1:00 PM ET
The Buffalo Sabres have a chance to match their longest winning streak of the season but they face a daunting challenge when they host the red-hot St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. The Sabres are three points behind Toronto for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference as they go for their third straight victory.
Winnipeg at Montreal 2:00 PM ET
The Montreal Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday in the beginning of a new era, and a return to a former one as Claude Julien is back behind the team’s bench. Montreal fired Michel Therrien on Tuesday and hired Julien, who was out of work for one week after being fired by Boston and coached the Canadiens from 2003-06.
Washington at Detroit 2:00 PM ET
The Washington Capitals' high-octane offense has erupted for 30 goals during the team's six-game winning streak while the Detroit Red Wings have sputtered along with just nine during their five-game skid (0-4-1). Returning from its mandated break, Washington looks to rev up the engine again at the expense of the reeling Red Wings on Saturday afternoon as the clubs wrap up their three-game season series at Joe Louis Arena.
Edmonton at Chicago 7:00 PM ET
The Chicago Blackhawks entered their scheduling break on a high, scoring five goals in back-to-back contests and in three of their last four to extend their winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. After enjoying a week of rest, the Blackhawks return to the grind on Saturday as they attempt to win the three-game season series against the visiting Oilers.
Ottawa at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Ottawa Senators are inching closer to first place in the Atlantic Division but they are hitting a rugged stretch of the schedule as they prepare to visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Senators won three of their last four to pull within four points of division-leading Montreal with three games in hand.
NY Islanders at New Jersey 7:00 PM ET
A recent hot stretch has propelled the New York Islanders to within one point of the final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference as they prepare to visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in the first leg of a home-and-home set. It's also a big series for New Jersey, which sits four points behind the Metropolitan Division-rival Islanders.
San Jose at Arizona 8:00 PM ET
The San Jose Sharks hardly are playing like a first-place team with losses in five of their last six games (1-1-4) while the Arizona Coyotes have shown flashes of promise during their 7-3-1 mark in their last 11. The cellar-dwelling Coyotes vie for their fourth win in the five-game season series on Saturday night when the Pacific Division rivals meet at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Tampa Bay at Dallas 8:00 PM ET
The Tampa Bay Lightning look to pick up where they left off before taking a week off when they visit the struggling Dallas Stars on Saturday night. The Lightning matched their season-high point streak of four (3-0-1) with a 4-1 victory over Winnipeg last Saturday, giving themselves hope to make a run for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Nashville at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Coach Bruce Boudreau has little interest that the Minnesota Wild have already matched last season's win total, let alone with 25 games remaining. Boasting an 8-2-1 mark in their last 11 contests, the Western Conference-leading Wild look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they host the Nashville Predators in the sixth contest of their season-high eight-game homestand.
Calgary at Vancouver 10:00 PM ET
The Calgary Flames begin a five-game road trip that takes them to the corners of the NHL map with a matchup against the desperate Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Calgary defeated Philadelphia 3-1 on Wednesday for its fifth victory in the last seven games and sits one point ahead of Los Angeles for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference after rookie Matthew Tkachuk recorded a goal and assist, giving him five points in the last four contests.
Florida at Los Angeles 10:00 PM ET
The Florida Panthers look to remain perfect on their five-game road trip when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Florida improved to 3-0-0 on its trek with Friday's 4-1 triumph in Anaheim, scoring a total of 17 goals in the process as it sits one point behind Toronto for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.