CLUBS EARN CRUCIAL WINS IN WESTERN PLAYOFF RACE
The Blackhawks (41-18-5, 87 points) and Flames (35-26-4, 74 points) each extended their win streaks to six games in contests that featured late tying goals, while the Ducks (33-21-10, 76 points) won in their return from the bye week to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race:

* Artemi Panarin tied the game with 1:14 remaining in the third period and scored again in the shootout as Chicago rallied for their 11th win in their past 12 games. Panarin reached the 20-goal mark for the second time in as many NHL seasons as the Blackhawks moved within one point of the idle Wild (41-15-6, 88 points) for first place in the Western Conference. Minnesota holds two games in hand.

* The Flames yielded a tying goal with 1.8 seconds left in regulation, but Mikael Backlund scored in overtime – his 20th goal of the season – to help Calgary improve to 11-2-1 in their last 14 games. The Flames, who also went 6-0-0 from Nov. 30 – Dec. 10, 2016, have posted multiple win streaks of at least six games in the same season for the first time since 2006-07.

* Rickard Rakell (2-0—2) scored twice – including the eventual game-winning goal just 16 seconds after Jakob Silfverberg (1-0—1) tied the game – to help the Ducks pick up their third straight home win. Jonathan Bernier made 37 saves to earn the victory against his former club, as the Ducks leapfrogged the idle Oilers (34-22-8, 76 points) into second place in the Pacific Division, where seeds No. 2-4 are separated by only two points.

LOOSE PUCKS
Connor Hellebuyck (29 saves) recorded his fourth shutout of the season to move within one of tying the single-season Jets/Thrashers franchise record and lift Winnipeg within four points of a playoff spot . . . Matt Murray (27 saves) earned his 24th win of 2016-17 to tie Gary Inness (24-18-10 in 1974-75) for the most wins in a season by a Penguins rookie goaltender . . . Lightning forward Adam Erne, a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, scored his first career goal (7 GP) . . . Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews scored the decisive marker in the shootout while playing in his 700th game . . . Mathieu Perreault (3-7—10 in 6 GP), Dustin Byfuglien (2-4—6 in 6 GP) and Nikita Kucherov (7-6—13 in 5 GP) each extended point streaks . . . The Panthers welcomed the Stanley Cupfor Day 2 of the NHL Centennial Fan Arena’s three-day stop in South Florida . . . Alex Ovechkin delivered pizza to unsuspecting Capitals fans as part of a charity benefit.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Colorado @ Winnipeg, 7 p.m., SN, ALT2
New Jersey @ Boston, 7 p.m., NESN, MSG+
Montreal @ NY Rangers, 7 p.m., NHLN-US, CBC, TVAS, MSG
Tampa Bay @ Buffalo, 7 p.m., MSG-B, SUN
Dallas @ Florida, 7 p.m., FS-F, FS-SW
Columbus @ Ottawa, 7 p.m., CITY, FS-O
Philadelphia @ Washington, 7:30 p.m., CSN-DC, CSN-PH
Chicago @ Nashville, 8 p.m., FS-TN, CSN-CH
Vancouver @ Los Angeles, 10 p.m., SN, FS-W
Detroit @ Edmonton, 10 p.m., CBC, FS-D
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DIVISIONAL RACES SPOTLIGHT HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA SCHEDULE
Five of 10 games contested tonight will be part of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, highlighted by two key matchups in the Eastern Conference playoff picture: the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens (36-21-8, 80 points) aim for a fifth straight win when they visit the Rangers (41-21-2, 84 points), who hold the first Wild Card spot but sit only two points out of second place in the Metropolitan Division; the Blue Jackets (40-16-6, 86 points), who occupy the No. 2 seed with two games in hand on New York, travel to Ottawa to battle the Senators (34-22-6, 74 points), who sit six points back of Montreal with three games in hand. In the other three contests, the Avalanche (17-42-3, 37 points) visit the Jets; the Canucks (26-30-7, 59 points) face off with the Kings (31-27-6, 68 points); and the Red Wings (25-26-11, 61 points) pay a visit to the Oilers (34-22-8, 76 points).

CAPITALS LOOK TO EXTEND STREAKS AT VERIZON CENTER
After establishing new franchise records for home win (14) and point streaks (15-0-1) in their last contest, the League-leading Capitals (43-13-7, 93 points) continue their pursuit of a second straight Presidents’ Trophy when they welcome the Flyers (30-26-7, 67 points) to town. Philadelphia, meanwhile, sits four points back of the Islanders (30-22-11, 71 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

the information above was provided by the NHL PR department