Live Scores, Live Odds and Game Matchups

Although the Toronto Maple Leafs have suffered through a dismal season, they are showing signs of life down the stretch as they prepare to wind up a three-game road trip with a visit to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. The Maple Leafs have knocked off five playoff contenders in their past 12 games, including Tuesday's 5-2 victory at Florida.

The New York Islanders look to take a significant step forward toward the playoffs on Thursday when they vie for a five-game season sweep of the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. Speaking of sweeps, the Islanders brushed aside Carolina in a home-and-home set to move within three points of white-hot Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Once teetering on the fringe of the playoff picture, the Pittsburgh Penguins are now sitting pretty after winning nine of their last 10 contests to reside just one point from second place in the Metropolitan Division. The white-hot Penguins vie for their fourth win in a row on Thursday when they wrap up a modest two-game homestand against the Nashville Predators.

Eric Staal will play his first game at PNC Arena as a visitor when the New York Rangers play their next-to-last road contest at the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Staal, who was acquired from Carolina at the trade deadline, and the Rangers can clinch a playoff berth by beating the Hurricanes for the 10th straight time.

The Montreal Canadiens already have made an impact on the Eastern Conference playoff race this week, and they will have a big hand in deciding the Atlantic Division champion over the final five games of the season. The draft lottery-bound Canadiens begin a stretch of four contests against the division co-leaders when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

A 5-2 setback to Eastern Conference-worst Toronto put a dent in the Florida Panthers' hopes of winning the Atlantic Division, but a bigger loss was an injury to emerging star Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers, who are tied in points with Tampa Bay atop the division, look to bounce back against the visiting New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

The Minnesota Wild can inch closer to a postseason berth and officially end the uphill climb of the Ottawa Senators when the teams meet at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. Minnesota has won a season-best six games in a row to build a five-point lead over Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference while Ottawa remained mathematically alive in the East with a 2-1 victory over Winnipeg on Wednesday.

Although the Dallas Stars have their eyes set on the top seed in the Western Conference, the Central Division leaders have experienced an unexpected rough ride when facing the Arizona Coyotes this season. Winners of two in a row and five of their last six, the Stars look to prevent a season sweep at the hands of the Coyotes on Thursday when the clubs meet American Airlines Center.

The Los Angeles Kings attempt to regain first place in the Pacific on Thursday, when they host the division-rival Calgary Flames. Los Angeles, which has lost four of its last five games, fell one point behind Anaheim for the top spot in the division when the Ducks cruised past Calgary 8-3 on Wednesday.

The San Jose Sharks remain within striking distance of first place in the Pacific Division but they are running out of games with only five left in the regular season. Trailing division-leading Anaheim by four points and Los Angeles by three for second place, the Sharks look to complete a home-and-home sweep when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.