The Boston Bruins can tie the second-longest point streak in franchise history and win their fifth straight to start a six-game homestand Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers. The Bruins extended their run to 17 contests (13-0-4) by rallying for a 4-3 overtime win over Carolina on Tuesday and attempt to match 18-game point streaks by the 1968-69 and 2017-18 teams - who are behind only the 1940-41 squad (23).

The Columbus Blue Jackets admitted to feeling fortunate to skate away with their second win in five outings since the NHL trade deadline, but the team has been stuck in the mud in each of the last seven encounters against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blue Jackets bid to get better traction on Thursday when they open a home-and-home series against their Metropolitan Division rival in Pittsburgh.

The New York Islanders hit the road for their lone contest in a nine-game stretch on Thursday when they complete a home-an-home series against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. New York has fared well in Canada's capital city, winning both encounters last season to improve to 6-1-1 in the last eight such meetings.

The Detroit Red Wings are mired in their longest losing streak of the season while the New York Rangers have matched their longest skid, taking the luster off the upcoming matchup between the Original Six rivals. The Red Wings and Rangers are each sitting in seventh place in their respective divisions entering Thursday's game in Detroit.

Captain Steven Stamkos and right wing Nikita Kucherov both have a chance to pass Vincent Lecavalier in the franchise record book when their NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning host the surging Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. Stamkos boasts 382 career goals, one behind Lecavalier for the most in Lightning history, while Kucherov owns a league-high 108 points to match the former Tampa Bay captain, who set his record in 2006-07.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres have seen their playoff hopes slip away over the past two weeks, dimmed by a stretch in which each club lost four of five games. The Blackhawks have dominated the series with Buffalo, winning 13 of 14, and will go for their ninth straight home victory over the Sabres on Thursday night.

The Dallas Stars have won three in a row to move into the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars aim to strengthen their position while dealing a blow to the ninth-place Avalanche on Thursday when the Central Division rivals meet at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

A successful five-game road trip has helped keep the Edmonton Oilers relevant in the Western Conference playoff race. The club attempts to improve its chances when it begins a four-game homestand Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Arizona Coyotes surged into the playoff picture in the Western Conference thanks to a six-game winning streak that was halted last time out. They attempt to get back in the win column when they continue their seven-game homestand Thursday against the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Flames.

The St. Louis Blues should be flying high when they continue their California road trip against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday after rallying for an improbable win versus Anaheim the night before. St. Louis scored twice in 12 seconds as defenseman Alex Pietrangelo capped the outburst with 52 seconds left in the third period to give the Blues a 5-4 victory that solidified their hold on third place in the Central Division and increased their cushion for a playoff spot to six points.

The Montreal Canadiens are clinging to the second wild card in the Eastern Conference as they resume a three-game road trip with a visit to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. The Canadiens have a legacy unmatched by any NHL team but they have a dismal history against the Sharks, last winning in San Jose on Nov. 23, 1999.