Matchups

The Nashville Predators are in dire need of a victory and even more desperate for a goal as they prepare to make the fourth stop on a disastrous five-game road trip with a visit to the skidding Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. The Predators have been shut out in a franchise-record three straight games and have gone 213 minutes, 47 seconds without scoring a goal.

The New Jersey Devils have been one of the league’s biggest surprises in the first quarter of the season and look to add to the positive story when they host Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Devils, who won only 32 games last season, earned points in 12 of the last 17 games after starting the season with three straight regulation losses.

The New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist host the Montreal Canadiens and Carey Price on Wednesday in a marquee matchup featuring the Eastern Conference division leaders and their star goaltenders. Lundqvist boasts the NHL's top goals-against average (1.74) and save percentage (.946) while sharing the league lead in wins (12) with Washington's Braden Holtby, and is a strong candidate to pull off the same rare feat that Price accomplished in 2014-15.

Sidney Crosby has struggled to find the net this season and his track record against his next opponent suggests that won't change when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. Crosby has zero goals and five assists in 10 career games against the Blues - the only team he has failed to score a goal against.

Braden Holtby finally finished a shutout Monday, and as the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday they realize their fortune of having one of the NHL’s best goaltenders to go along with a powerful offense. Holtby won his 12th game of the season to tie Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers for the league lead with a 1-0 victory over Edmonton -- his first shutout after losing five in the third period this season.

The Edmonton Oilers are clearly playing better hockey this season and the next challenge in their evolution is to begin showing that in the win column. The Oilers, who own one more victory than last season at this point, look to begin their ascent when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Minnesota hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and it appears the Wild will have to go at least a few more games without star Zach Parise. The left winger, who scored seven goals in 12 contests before spraining his MCL and missing the last seven games, tried to practice Saturday but could not go Monday as he attempted to beat the timetable originally set after being injured on a knee-to-knee hit by Nashville's James Neal on Nov. 5.

The Philadelphia Flyers have a chance to post back-to-back victories for the first time in more than a month when they visit the New York Islanders on Wednesday night. Philadelphia squeezed out a 3-2 overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday to halt a six-game home losing streak.

Forwards Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand look to continue their offensive surges as the Boston Bruins visit the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. Bergeron boasts an eight-game point streak and Marchand has delivered five goals in the last four contests for the Bruins, who have strung together three consecutive victories.

The Los Angeles Kings look to complete a winning road trip when they visit the rejuvenated Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. The Kings have won two of four games on their trek after a 3-1 triumph at Florida on Monday and injury-plagued Tampa Bay has steadied itself by gaining points in four of the past five games (3-1-1).

Captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry look to build off very productive nights when the Anaheim Ducks visit the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. Getzlaf recorded five assists while Perry had a pair of goals as the Ducks turned back Calgary 5-3 on Tuesday night, and 24 hours later they attempt to beat the Coyotes for the first time in three tries this season.

Matt Duchene tries to continue his hot streak as the Colorado Avalanche attempt to cool off the visiting Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. Duchene has notched a point in seven straight contests and boasts a franchise record-tying 10 goals in November, while Ottawa is riding a six-game run without a regulation loss (4-0-2).

Chicago's Patrick Kane is producing at an MVP level despite going through a recently concluded sexual assault investigation that found no wrongdoing and tries to extend his point streak to 17 games when the Blackhawks visit the red-hot San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Kane, who led the NHL with 32 points through Monday's games, uses his exceptional skills on the ice as an escape, but another hostile crowd in the Shark Tank will certainly try to take him off his game.