Two of the NHL’s hottest teams are set to face off on Saturday as the Montreal Canadiens host the streaking Dallas Stars, who are riding a six-game winning streak. The Canadiens, looking to extend their own winning momentum, have been excelling with strong defense and clutch performances in recent games. The Canadiens return to the Bell Centre fresh off a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against the Washington Capitals. This win marked their third straight victory and their sixth in the past seven games. Impressively, all of these wins came in either overtime or a shootout, showcasing their resilience in high-pressure moments. Montreal’s recent victories are not just about numbers; they’ve come against some of the NHL’s top teams. Wins over

The Vancouver Canucks, struggling to find their rhythm during a difficult road trip, will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday in a game that could mark a turning point for both teams. With Vancouver on a four-game losing streak and Toronto looking to rebound from a tough loss, the stakes are high for this matchup. The Canucks have yet to secure a win on their five-game road trip, standing at 0-1-2 after a 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Vancouver’s offense has been alarmingly stagnant, scoring just one goal over their past two games and five across their last four contests. Returning to the lineup after an upper-body injury, Elias Pettersson played 20:27 against Carolina but failed

The No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini aim to extend their winning streak to six games as they host Southern California on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Despite potential uncertainty surrounding leading scorer Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois is confident in its deep roster to maintain its high-octane play. Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) has been on an offensive tear, averaging 87.9 points per game this season and an impressive 95.6 during its current five-game winning streak. The streak began with a narrow 80-77 victory over Missouri on Dec. 22, and the Illini have since showcased their ability to dominate with balanced scoring efforts. Jakucionis, who sat out Wednesday’s 91-52 win over Penn State due to a left forearm issue, is questionable for

The Florida Panthers, buoyed by the red-hot form of Jesper Boqvist, will aim to extend their dominance over the struggling Boston Bruins when the teams meet Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Fla. Boqvist, a 26-year-old Swedish forward, has found his scoring touch with four goals in his past five games. This surge has helped him reach nine goals on the season, earning praise from head coach Paul Maurice for his versatility and competitiveness. “He’s earned it,” Maurice said. “You like to reward guys who have played hard and have set themselves up for a strong second half of the season.” Florida’s offense continues to be led by a dynamic core of Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Carter