Preview Roundups
March 19, 2016
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 1:00 PM ET
The Philadelphia Flyers have been clicking on all cylinders during their 8-1-1 stretch and likely will see the return of a key cog in Jakub Voracek for Saturday afternoon's tilt against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Voracek has missed nine of those contests while nursing a left foot injury, but his participation in Friday's practice prompted coach Dave Hakstol to declare the forward as a game-time decision to face the Penguins.
Carolina at Minnesota 2:00 PM ET
The Minnesota Wild have been tripped up by several missteps of late, but recent encounters with the Carolina Hurricanes have allowed the club to get back on its feet. The Wild vie for their fourth straight victory over the Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon when the teams meet at Xcel Energy Center.
NY Rangers at San Jose 4:00 PM ET
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist remains in search of his first victory this month for the New York Rangers, who will wrap up their three-game California road trip with a visit to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers are 1-0-1 on the trek after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to Los Angeles.
Buffalo at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in a matchup of teams heading for the NHL draft lottery. Toronto is coming off a 4-1 loss to Florida on Thursday in the second contest of its season-high six-game homestand and has the least amount of points in the NHL with 59 - nine fewer than Buffalo after the Sabres completed a 2-0-1 homestand with a 3-1 victory over Ottawa on Friday.
Montreal at Ottawa 7:00 PM ET
The Ottawa Senators could not afford a misstep in their pursuit of a postseason berth, which is why a loss at Buffalo on Friday was a devastating blow to their already slim hopes. The Senators, who are seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, attempt to bounce back against the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Detroit at Florida 7:00 PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings attempt to hold onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Red Wings, who visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday, knocked off Columbus 3-1 on Thursday to take a one-point lead on surging Philadelphia in the race for the second wild-card position with the Flyers owning two games in hand.
New Jersey at Columbus 7:00 PM ET
After erupting for a season-high seven goals, the New Jersey Devils look to keep their slim postseason hopes alive when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in the first leg of a home-and-home set. The Devils have won three of four and are six points out of the eighth playoff slot in the Eastern Conference with 11 games to play.
NY Islanders at Dallas 8:00 PM ET
The Dallas Stars saw their potent 1-2 punch of captain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin lose half of its power as the latter is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a cut to his Achilles tendon. Without Seguin (NHL third-best 73 points), Benn (team-high 80 points) and the Western Conference-leading Stars look to keep it together on Saturday when they host the New York Islanders.
St. Louis at Vancouver 10:00 PM ET
An inability to tighten up defensively has the St. Louis Blues in danger of suffering a third straight loss for the first time in more than two months when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. St. Louis began its five-game road trip with an overtime triumph in Dallas but failed to record a win in Alberta, allowing a total of 13 goals in losses to Calgary and Edmonton.
Tampa Bay at Arizona 10:00 PM ET
The Arizona Coyotes are still clinging to slim playoff hopes as they attempt to stretch their winning streak to a season high-matching four Saturday when the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning pay a visit. The Coyotes own points in four straight (3-0-1) and have allowed two goals during their win streak to pull within nine points of Colorado for the second wild card in the Western Conference with two games in hand.
Boston at Los Angeles 10:30 PM ET
The Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings attempt to continue their quest for the top spot in the Western Conference when they host the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Los Angeles, which also is looking to extend its winning streak to four games, owns a four-point lead over Anaheim in the Pacific and trails Central-leading Dallas by two for first in the West.