NHL Previews

The level of consistency that the Boston Bruins showed on their way to winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season was simply remarkable. Boston (41-15-15, 97 points) has gone through ups and downs this season, and there have been efforts that left second-year coach Jim Montgomery “surprised and disappointed.” That was the case in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday. A six-game road trip now lies ahead for Boston, beginning with a

The Seattle Kraken easily could’ve dealt Jordan Eberle earlier this month at the NHL trade deadline. Plenty of teams likely would’ve been interested in acquiring a forward with his experience. Instead, the Kraken passed on all offers and gave Eberle a two-year contract extension. With Seattle’s playoff hopes dwindling heading into Friday night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes in Tempe, Ariz., it’s fair to wonder if the Kraken would’ve been better off dealing Eberle for

The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals have developed a notable rivalry in recent years. That competition might reach a different level when the teams meet Friday night in Washington. While there is bound to be a degree of respect, there will be an awkwardness because of who will be wearing a Hurricanes jersey. Evgeny Kuznetsov spent his first 10 1/2 NHL seasons playing for the Capitals before he was traded to Carolina on March 8.

The Dallas Stars close out a five-game homestand Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they appear to be headed in a good direction. The Stars (42-19-9, 93 points) are in a tight race for the Central Division and Western Conference title. They lost the first two games of their homestand — their only losses in eight games this month — before winning two straight. In Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes, Dallas got back

The pieces were in place a week ago when the Carolina Hurricanes last geared up for a home game. Now, those pieces have come together quite nicely. The addition of forwards Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov has coincided with an uptick in production for the Hurricanes, who hope that firepower is on full display when the Philadelphia Flyers visit Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday night. The Hurricanes (43-20-6, 92 points) have won four games in a

With just 12 regular-season games remaining, the Boston Bruins hope to be hitting their stride at the right time. The NHL’s best team awaits a stiff challenge, though, as the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers pay a visit to Boston on Thursday night in the Bruins’ final home game before a six-game road trip. The Bruins (41-14-15, 97 points) used a three-goal third period to coast to their sixth win in eight games (6-1-1) on

The last time the New York Islanders visited Detroit, they snapped the Red Wings’ six-game winning streak. In their return trip Thursday night, those teams will play a pivotal game in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. In a group battling for the final wild-card spot, Detroit (35-28-6, 76 points) has a three-point edge over the Islanders (29-24-15, 73). Not long ago, the Red Wings held the top wild-card berth. They lost their grip on that

The Minnesota Wild are making a hard charge to put themselves into playoff position. A Southern California sweep when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday would go a long way toward keeping their Stanley Cup hopes alive. The Wild (34-27-8, 76 points) reach Los Angeles after a 4-0 road victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Thanks to a 6-0-2 run in a season-best, eight-game point streak, Minnesota sits three points back of

The Vancouver Canucks are enjoying a good season, one with many highs and minimal lows as they skated their way to the top of the Pacific Division and, at times, the top spot in the NHL. Lately, however, the lows are coming more frequently. It’s something the Canucks look to rectify when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. Vancouver (42-18-8, 92 points) has lost two in a row after a four-game winning streak and