The red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets will aim for their sixth straight victory when they host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night. Columbus (8-2-0 in its last 10 games) is finding ways to win, even when not at its best. That was evident in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, in which the Blue Jackets squandered a third-period lead but responded in overtime and the shootout. Zach Werenski led the charge with two goals, while Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko sealed the win in the shootout. Goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 23 saves in his first start since Dec. 28. Werenski is enjoying a career-best season, leading all NHL defensemen with 50 points in 44 games. His 17-game home

The Detroit Red Wings are surging under new coach Todd McLellan, but they’ll face a tough test on Thursday when they visit the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. Since McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, the Red Wings are 7-2-0 and have climbed back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. However, their momentum took a hit on Tuesday when they suffered a disappointing 6-3 home loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks. “That was a disappointing night for our group,” McLellan said. “It’s a new experience for us in our few weeks here. I’m anxious to see if we respond.” Detroit’s turnaround has been fueled by improved offense and more confidence, as star forward Patrick

The St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames are running it back on Thursday night, squaring off in a high-stakes rematch at Enterprise Center. With both teams in a tight playoff race, this isn’t just another regular-season game—it’s starting to feel like the postseason has arrived early. The Flames (49 points), Canucks (48 points), and Blues (46 points) are neck-and-neck for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Calgary and Vancouver have two games in hand over St. Louis, so the pressure is on the Blues to keep pace and make these games count. Tuesday’s matchup was a classic grind-it-out game, with the Blues pulling off a 2-1 win. Radek Faksa’s deflection goal in the third period sealed the deal,

The Lions are heavily favored in their NFC matchup against the Commanders, with their money line odds at -543 compared to Washington’s +407. The game, set for 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th at Ford Field in Detroit, is being televised on FOX. The Lions are -9.5 point favorites, and the over/under line is set at 55 points. Washington finished the regular season with a 12-5 record, including a five-game winning streak before their week 1 loss to the Buccaneers. This run included a 28-point win over the Cardinals in week 4 and a 21-point victory against the Browns in week 5. They also defeated the Eagles in week 16 and the Falcons in week 17, and they ended the