Vancouver have made an admirable effort to snatch a late wild card spot and are chasing a seventh straight win when entertaining Ottawa. All bar one of their last six victories have been in regular time and by more than one clear goal, with the Canucks looking full of energy.
New York Rangers are still in the hunt to win the Metropolitan Division and could prove just too strong for Winnipeg on home ice. The Jets have fought hard to make the playoffs but back-to-back losses at Florida and Tampa Bay may have exposed their limitations at a crucial time.
Montreal may be reeling on the ropes following five straight defeats but are fancied to come out fighting when entertaining Minnesota. The Canadiens will be keen to avenge January’s 8-2 drubbing at Xcel Energy Centre and the Wild could just be weary from a series of tight tussles.
Toronto can take another smooth step towards wrapping up second place in the Atlantic Division by brushing aside Philadelphia. The Maple Leafs are chasing a fourth consecutive victory and have twice beaten the faltering Flyers by three goals already this season.
Vancouver are seven points behind Dallas in the race for a Western Conference wildcard spot and simply must win this crucial showdown. The good news for the Canucks is that they have claimed convincing victories in two previous head-to-head meetings this term.
Seattle and Ottawa were both involved in overtime battles on Saturday, so the signs are that they are still prepared to fight for points. It was also a draw at the end of regulation play when these teams met in Canada last month, when the Senators shaded a 4-3 scoreline.
Calgary Flames will look to further extend their lead at the top of the Pacific Division to nine points when they head east to Chicago. The Blackhawks are already out of the playoffs and playing just for pride while their visitors are looking to head into the postseason in form.
Toronto look determined to head into the playoffs with plenty of momentum behind them and are taken to see off the New York Islanders. The Maple Leafs have beaten the same opponents twice on the road this season and can now confirm their superiority at Scotiabank Arena.
Tampa Bay’s form has been patchy of late but they can close in on a top-three finish in the Atlantic Division by seeing off Winnipeg. The Jets are outsiders for a wild card spot in the West and last night’s 6-1 thrashing at Florida may have knocked the stuffing out of them.
Washington have taken care of Montreal twice already this season and look a solid selection to confirm that superiority at Centre Bell. However, the Canadiens played better in last night’s 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders than the scoreline suggests, so this could be closer.
Calgary ended a run of five straight wins with an off-night versus Vegas but should get straight back on track when entertaining Arizona. The Coyotes have crashed to five consecutive defeats by a combined score of 29-6 and the end of the season can’t come soon enough for them.
Toronto have only dropped three points from 10 matches and are fancied to maintain that momentum when visiting Ottawa. The Senators are coming off wins at Detroit and Boston, so this is far from a formality, but the Maple Leafs should just have too much firepower up front.
Edmonton and Vegas both enhanced their playoffs prospects with impressive victories on Thursday and a fierce battle is anticipated at Rogers Place. The Oilers deserve to be slight favourites due to a strong home record, but the Golden Knights are definitely firing right now.
New York Islanders only have a slim chance of securing a wildcard spot for the playoffs but will aim to keep their hopes alive by beating the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens, already out of postseason contention, have lost three on the spin while the Islanders are 15 points adrift of a playoffs place with nine games remaining.