With the New York Islanders having locked up another key piece of their talented defense corps, they can now focus on securing an Eastern Conference playoff berth. They'll look to move two points closer to that goal Friday night as they entertain the Ottawa Senators. The Islanders are coming off a pivotal 2-1 setback at the hands of New York Rangers on Tuesday night, slipping a point behind their cross-city rivals in the opener of a three-game homestand.

With their playoff hopes flickering, the Dallas Stars need all the points they can get - and Friday's encounter with the host Washington Capitals is a good place to start. The Stars upended Carolina 5-3 on Thursday, but remain well back of the Western Conference wild-card spots and have several teams to leapfrog along the way. They can take solace in the fact that they have won their last six meetings with the Capitals, who are coming off a 3-1 defeat to the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Although attaining a postseason berth is nearing a mathematical impossibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have answered a seven-game winless skid with three victories in their last four contests. The Blue Jackets look to continue their late surge when they face the spiraling Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Scott Hartnell followed up his two-goal performance in a 4-3 triumph over Carolina on Tuesday by netting the go-ahead tally in a 3-1 victory over Detroit two nights later.

The Minnesota Wild have been running roughshod over their opponents of late to elevate themselves into the top wild-card position in the Western Conference. After posting a sterling 17-3-2 mark in their last 22 contests, the Wild face a potential first-round opponent on Friday when they host the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim has dropped three in a row in regulation, but has won both meetings with Minnesota this season and five straight at Xcel Energy Center.

The Calgary Flames continue to garner attention as one of the Western Conference's biggest surprises - while the Toronto Maple Leafs are making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Flames look to resume their unexpected playoff march Friday night as they host the struggling Maple Leafs. Calgary is coming off a 6-3 victory over Anaheim as it looks to march up the Pacific Division standings, while the Maple Leafs are playing for next year and dealing with even more turmoil.