Matchups

The Minnesota Wild were just a few seconds away from winning the first two contests of their three-game road trip, only to settle for one point following an overtime loss in their last contest. The Wild look to rebound on Thursday, when they visit the Prudential Center to face the New Jersey Devils.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three in a row to strengthen their bid for a 10th consecutive postseason appearance while the Carolina Hurricanes are precariously close to yet another campaign that ends before the playoffs. Pittsburgh will look to continue its good fortune at Carolina's expense on Thursday when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet at Consol Energy Center.

The Detroit Red Wings are wobbling down the stretch, losing two straight games and five of seven overall in March to put the record streak of 24 consecutive postseason appearances in jeopardy. The Red Wings look to reclaim their hold on the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

The Florida Panthers are in unfamiliar territory as they attempt to secure only their second playoff berth in the past 16 seasons. Florida holds a one-point edge over Boston and two-point lead over Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division as it wraps up a three-game road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

The Nashville Predators have secured at least a point in 15 of their last 16 games (10-1-5), but the Music City representatives have hit a sour note of late when facing the New York Islanders. The Predators return from a five-game road trip and look to snap a four-game winless skid versus the Islanders on Thursday when the clubs meet at Bridgestone Arena.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been searching for consistency in their performance throughout the season and must rebound from another lackluster performance when they visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday. The Lightning are 1-3-1 since going on a nine-game winning streak after losing at league-worst Toronto on Tuesday.

After putting together back-to-back home wins for the first time in two months, beating a pair of division leaders in the process, the San Jose Sharks hit the road Thursday for a matchup with the Arizona Coyotes. The Sharks trail Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles by five points and second-place Anaheim by one with 13 games to play.

After handily taking care of their strongest Western Conference rivals on the road, the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings begin a brief homestand against two of the better teams the East has to offer when they face off against the New York Rangers on Thursday. Los Angeles rolled past Chicago and Dallas earlier this week, outscoring the Central Division powerhouses 10-2, to improve to 9-2-2 in its last 13 contests — with both regulation losses coming against Anaheim, which is four points