It is desperation time for the Colorado Avalanche in their quest to earn a Western Conference playoff spot and they hope to start a streak Sunday afternoon when the New Jersey Devils pay a visit. The Avalanche are six points out of the second wild-card spot with a game in hand after dropping five of their last seven contests, including a frustrating 5-3 loss at home to Anaheim on Friday.

The St. Louis Blues appear to have their mojo back as they conclude a three-game road trip Sunday afternoon against the Buffalo Sabres. St. Louis bounced back from a 2-0 loss to league-worst Ottawa on Thursday with an impressive 5-1 victory over surging Pittsburgh two days later and are third in the Central Division, two points ahead of Dallas and five clear of a wild-card spot in the West.

The New York Islanders wasted a golden opportunity to improve their position in the Metropolitan Division last time out, as the teams directly ahead of and behind them also suffered losses. New York attempts to get back in the win column when it visits the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.

The Dallas Stars’ critical five-game homestand got off to a disappointing start, but now they look to take advantage of a stretch of three games against teams outside playoff position beginning with a visit from the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. The Stars registered 41 shots on net Friday before suffering a 2-1 setback against red-hot Vegas and is three points clear, with a game in hand, in their quest for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

With a dwindling margin of error in their bid to earn one of the wild-card slots in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Flyers knew they could not afford any slip-ups down the stretch. Instead, the Flyers must recover from a disastrous loss that was akin to falling down the stairs when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

After knocking off one of the top teams in the Pacific to open their four-game road trip, the surging Florida Panthers were not about to be denied by the division's worst club. The Panthers have a chance to match their longest winning streak of the season when they make a short trip to Anaheim to face the Ducks on Sunday.

The Vegas Golden Knights seek their fifth consecutive home victory and eighth in nine overall games when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Vegas had its six-game winning streak halted in Calgary on March 10 but bounced back to post a 2-1 triumph at Dallas on Friday.