The Detroit Red Wings, riding a five-game winning streak, welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to Little Caesars Arena on Friday night in an Original Six matchup. Detroit has surged into the wild-card race, with Patrick Kane leading the charge during the team’s hot streak. Detroit (5-1 under new coach Todd McLellan) has flourished since McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde, finding a more aggressive playing style and renewed confidence. Patrick Kane, acquired earlier this season, has been pivotal to the turnaround. The future Hall of Famer has notched four goals and four assists during the win streak, including the overtime power-play winner against Ottawa on Tuesday. Kane’s resurgence is a significant boost after a slow start to the season, where he tallied just

The Montreal Canadiens look to extend their strong post-holiday form on Friday as they face the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals in Washington, D.C. With wins against top-tier opponents in recent games, the Canadiens aim to bolster their playoff aspirations, while the Capitals seek consecutive victories for the first time in nearly three weeks. Montreal (5-1-0 in their last six games) has been on a tear, collecting wins against playoff contenders like the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Most recently, the Canadiens earned a 5-4 overtime victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, thanks to Nick Suzuki’s power-play goal. Head coach Martin St. Louis attributes his team’s success to a focus on consistency rather than the level

The Utah Hockey Club and San Jose Sharks face off on Friday night in Salt Lake City, each team desperate to reverse its fortunes in what has been a challenging season. With both teams stuck in slumps, this game offers an opportunity for one side to gain much-needed momentum. Utah (1-5-2 in its last eight games) has seen its playoff hopes waver after a promising start to the season. Just a few points out of a playoff position at the holiday break, Utah now finds itself five points off the pace midway through the season. A lack of offensive production has been the primary culprit during this skid. The team has scored two or fewer goals in seven of its

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Avalanche and Wild. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Get ready to place your bets! The Avalanche are favored by -1.5 in this Central divisional contest against the Wild. The game’s over/under currently sits at 6 goals. Colorado’s 5-2 loss to the Predators moved them to 25-16-1 on the season. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5. The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead at 17:06 in the second period, but Nashville responded with five unanswered goals. Colorado’s defense gave up two