Preview Roundups
December 20, 2014
Arizona at Los Angeles 4:00 PM ET
Marian Gaborik looks to continue his sizzling play as the Los Angeles Kings face the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday in the second contest of their four-game homestand. Gaborik extended his scoring streak to three contests by collecting two goals and an assist as Los Angeles snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1) with a 6-4 triumph over St. Louis on Thursday.
Colorado at Buffalo 7:00 PM ET
Both the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres have struggled offensively all season, a big reason why both squads sit in last place in their respective divisions. The Sabres host the Avalanche on Saturday looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss Tuesday at Winnipeg, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Colorado comes in having lost six of seven in December, including back-to-back overtime defeats to St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs can extend their home winning streak to six games when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. The Flyers have three wins in their last 10 contests (3-4-3) and are 3-9-3 away from home as they start an eight-game road trip. Toronto saw its six-game winning streak snapped on the road Thursday, but the Maple Leafs boast a league-best 14 home victories.
Ottawa at Montreal 7:00 PM ET
It's safe to say the Ottawa Senators have broken out of their scoring slump - and that could spell bad news for the host Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. The Senators ran roughshod over the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, scoring twice in each period to improve to 4-1-1 in their last six games. Ottawa has a whopping 21 goals over that stretch - a dramatic improvement over the eight they mustered during the previous five contests.
Washington at New Jersey 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Capitals attempt to extend their point streak to eight games as they conclude their three-game road trip against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Washington improved to 5-0-2 since beginning the month with a one-goal loss to Vancouver by posting a 5-4 overtime triumph at Columbus on Thursday.
Tampa Bay at NY Islanders 7:00 PM ET
The New York Islanders aim for their fourth consecutive victory when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. New York has bounced back nicely from a three-game losing streak, posting one-goal triumphs over Chicago and New Jersey at home before edging the Red Wings 2-1 in Detroit on Friday. Brock Nelson and Anders Lee each recorded a goal and an assist, with the latter netting the game-winner midway through the third period.
Florida at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET
The Florida Panthers keep finding ways to collect points and hope to continue that trend when they visit the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in the opener of a home-and-home series. The Panthers won their second straight 2-1 shootout - the first in a league-record 20 rounds - and are 7-2-2 in their last 11, with 10 decided by one goal. "We just want to keep it going," goaltender Roberto Luongo said. "These points before Christmas are huge for our club."
NY Rangers at Carolina 7:00 PM ET
Rick Nash and the surging New York Rangers look to continue their torrid stretch when they vie their 12th win in 13 meetings with the host Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Nash scored twice to reach the 20-goal plateau for the 11th consecutive season as New York skated to its season-best fourth straight victory, a 5-2 triumph at Calgary on Tuesday. Nash has collected eight goals and six assists during his career-high 11-game point streak for the Rangers, who have won eight of those contests.
Chicago at Columbus 7:00 PM ET
Two of the league's hottest clubs will square off when the resurgent Columbus Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. Columbus has turned its season around after closing November with six consecutive defeats, winning its first seven in December before dropping a 5-4 overtime decision to Washington on Thursday. It marked the fifth straight contest and sixth time in seven games that the Blue Jackets went past regulation.
Nashville at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Minnesota Wild continue their four-game homestand when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Minnesota began the stretch at Xcel Energy Center with a 3-2 overtime loss to Boston on Wednesday, its third setback in four overall contests. Jason Pominville scored with 8:21 remaining in the third period to forge a tie, but Loui Eriksson tallied 90 seconds into the extra session to drop the Wild to 2-1 in overtime games this season.
Calgary at Vancouver 10:00 PM ET
The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames look to end their respective losing streaks when the Pacific Division rivals meet at Rogers Arena on Saturday. Vancouver began the month of December with a pair of victories to improve to 3-1-0 on its season-high seven-game road trip before mustering just seven goals during a five-game slide (0-4-1).
St. Louis at San Jose 10:30 PM ET
The San Jose Sharks attempt to complete a perfect five-game homestand when they host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. San Jose improved to 4-0-0 on its stretch at SAP Center on Thursday by posting a 4-3 triumph over Edmonton, marking the second time during the streak it knocked off the Oilers.