The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to snap out of a funk that has led to three losses in their last four games when they host the surging Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night. The Maple Leafs missed a chance to pick up ground on second-place Boston in the Atlantic Division after getting routed by Tampa Bay at home 6-2 on Monday and falling behind by five goals before suffering a 5-4 setback against Chicago two days later.

The Carolina Hurricanes have matched their point total from last season, but they have loftier goals in mind -- namely reaching the postseason for the first time since 2008-09. Holding down the top wild card in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes will face one of their closest pursuers when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

Mark Stone is beginning to pay dividends for Vegas a few weeks after the major trade deadline deal and the productive right wing looks to keep it going when the Golden Knights visit the surging Dallas Stars on Friday night. Stone has scored in back-to-back games and owns five points in his last five outings while the Golden Knights are 6-1-0, averaging 3.7 goals, since his arrival from Ottawa on Feb. 25.

The Colorado Avalanche are running out of time in their quest for a Western Conference playoff berth but can improve their chances with a victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday in Denver. Colorado fell to 2-4-0 in its last six games with Monday's 3-0 loss at home to Carolina and suddenly finds itself five points behind Arizona for the final wild-card spot with a game in hand.

The Calgary Flames answered a four-game skid in which they mustered just five goals by igniting their offense for 15 to record back-to-back victories in their last two contests. The Flames look to continue their torrid stretch on Friday when they conclude their three-game homestand against the New York Rangers.

The Vancouver Canucks have gone nearly two months without posting back-to-back victories, a streak they can halt when they face another struggling team in the visiting New Jersey Devils on Friday night. The Devils are in a similar drought -- albeit shorter -- and have to chance to notch consecutive wins for the first time in a month.