The Arizona Coyotes sport the worst record in the Western Conference while receiving little help from the schedule makers, having played 30 games overall and 18 away from home -- both league highs. The road doesn't get any easier for Arizona, which continues a four-game trek against a huge nemesis with a visit to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

The New York Islanders are attempting to measure themselves against the elite of the Eastern Conference. After hanging tough with Tampa Bay before the bottom fell out, the Islanders look to rebound on Thursday when they play the third contest of their four-game road trip against the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Montreal Canadiens look to return to their winning ways Thursday as they continue their five-game homestand against the Calgary Flames. Montreal had won four straight at Bell Centre and five in a row overall before dropping a 4-3 decision to St. Louis on Tuesday.

Yanni Gourde, who was playing in the East Coast Hockey League in 2014, has battled his way to a prominent role in the NHL, and the gritty forward looks to continue his breakout season when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. Gourde scored twice on rebounds in Tampa Bay’s 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday and boasts eight goals to go along with 10 assists.

The Winnipeg Jets have surged into contention for the top spot in both the Central Division and Western Conference on the heels of a 9-3-1 run. All four losses in that stretch have come away from home for the Jets, who will look to halt that trend when they continue a three-game road trip with a visit to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

The St. Louis Blues halted a three-game slide by cooling off one of the league's hottest teams and now will look to do the same against another opponent that had been on a roll. After an impressive road victory that ended Montreal's five-game winning streak, St. Louis returns to Central Division play to host the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

The Vancouver Canucks have battled their way into a playoff position in the Western Conference and have no intention of going anywhere soon as they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. The Canucks, who have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and three of the past four, have posted three straight victories and can match their best run of the campaign by beating the rejuvenated Flyers.

Two teams heading in opposite directions face off Thursday as the surging Los Angeles Kings host the slumping Ottawa Senators. Los Angeles has followed a three-game slide with a winning streak that reached six games with Tuesday's 5-2 triumph over Minnesota in the opener of its three-game homestand.

The San Jose Sharks may have a defenseman to step in for the suspended Brenden Dillon on Thursday, as Paul Martin is champing at the bit to get back on the ice. Martin hopes to be activated off injured reserve in time as the Sharks open a three-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes.