Jeff Carter called the Los Angeles Kings a fragile team - harsh words for any professional athlete to hear, let alone a hockey player - after their 6-3 loss in Buffalo on Tuesday. Los Angeles' leading goal scorer and his teammates responded with victories on back-to-back nights and hope to continue that success when the Kings visit the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon in the fourth contest of a season-high seven-game road trip.

Do not be surprised if the Colorado Avalanche are happy to open a two-game road trip Sunday afternoon at the Winnipeg Jets, given they have not won a home game since the middle of November. The Avalanche lost seven games in a row in Denver (0-6-1), the latest a lackluster 3-1 loss to Florida on Friday that left them with an NHL-worst 23 points.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be chasing two major milestones when they go after a ninth consecutive victory Sunday against the host Vancouver Canucks. The Blue Jackets can match the franchise-record win streak of nine - set in 2014-15 - while John Tortorella is one away from becoming the 24th coach in NHL history with 500 victories as he meets one of his former teams.

Defenseman Brent Burns is making another run at the Norris Trophy this season and looks to record at least a point for the eighth straight game when his first-place San Jose Sharks visit the equally hot Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Burns put up career highs of 27 goals and 75 points last season before registering 13 and 29, respectively, in the first 31 contests of 2016-17 for the Sharks — winners of four straight.

The New York Islanders looked to be heading in the right direction earlier this month with a six-game point streak (5-0-1), but they have squandered that run with four consecutive defeats. The Islanders, who have yet to rally for a win this season when trailing after two periods, attempt to start turning things around again when they host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.

It hasn’t mattered who played between the pipes lately for the New York Rangers, who are just not giving up goals and pocketing victories in the process. The Rangers have allowed just four goals in the last six games and look to extend their point streak to seven contests when they host their Metropolitan Division-rival New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.