The postseason appeared to be a pipe dream for the St. Louis Blues when, just two days into the new calendar year, they had the fewest points in the NHL. Now, fresh off a perfect four-game homestand, St. Louis can wrap up an improbable playoff berth when it opens a two-game road trip with a visit to the New York Rangers on Friday night.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a bit of time to cool their jets after posting a 3-0-1 mark during a whirlwind four-game, eight-day road trip that briefly touched down in Music City. The well-rested Penguins begin a stretch of five games in nine days on Friday when they bid to complete a season sweep of the visiting Nashville Predators.

The Detroit Red Wings look to match a season high with a fourth consecutive victory when they begin a three-game homestand Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Detroit topped host Buffalo 5-4 in overtime on Thursday, putting itself in position for its first four-game winning streak since Nov. 6-13.

It will be the NHL's version of March Madness, featuring a pivotal 8-9 matchup, when the surging Colorado Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night. While the stakes are not as high as the elimination format of the NCAA Tournament, Colorado is holding a two-point edge over Arizona for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

The Calgary Flames have answered a sizzling stretch in which they recorded 33 goals during a 6-1-0 run by being outscored 5-1 while losing the first two contests of their three-game homestand. The Flames will look to ignite their offense when they host the Ducks on Friday before wrapping up their three-game trek through California next week with a visit to Anaheim.

A three-game losing streak has stalled the Vegas Golden Knights' drive to the postseason but they will make their third attempt at wrapping up a playoff berth when they host the Minnesota Wild on Friday night. The recent slide also dimmed Vegas' hopes of overtaking the San Jose Sharks for second place in the Pacific Division.