SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Colorado Avalanche will be ready when they visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, and that is -- essentially -- a promise.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers, in dire need of a home game, will get just that on Saturday night when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the BB&T Center.

Back on Oct. 16, the Flyers blew a three-goal lead but managed to pull out a 6-5 shootout victory over the Florida Panthers in Philadelphia.

This wasn't supposed to happen. The Florida Panthers started slowly last year, but -- from Jan. 30 to the end of the regular season -- were the best team in the Eastern Conference, falling just one point short of the playoffs.

WASHINGTON -- Three defensemen scored goals as the Washington Capitals continued their dominance of the New Jersey Devils with a 5-2 victory Saturday that propelled them into first place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Chicago Blackhawks' quality of play isn't where Joel Quenneville would like, but when they find ways to win games like they have lately, the coach takes it as a step in the right direction.

MONTREAL -- Paul Byron scored three goals to help the Montreal Canadiens to their fifth straight win, a 10-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

BOSTON -- Tyler Toffoli scored his second goal of the game with no time remaining in overtime to lift the red-hot Los Angeles Kings to a stunning 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby scored twice Saturday night, including the winner when he batted the puck out of the air in the third period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Florida Panthers 4-3 at PPG Paints Arena.

The NHL announced Sunday the available and protected lists for the 30 teams who will provide players to the Vegas Golden Knights in this week's expansion draft.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Third place is important to the St. Louis Blues.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The 24-time Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens, with a past that qualifies them as hockey royalty, didn't even make the playoffs last year.

BOSTON -- If the Boston Bruins hang on and end their two-year absence from the playoffs, they can look at the season series with the Florida Panthers as the thing that got them back to the postseason fun.

MONTREAL -- Between injury and offensive woes, Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher is not enjoying the easiest of seasons.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Rookie Yanni Gourde got a steal and a breakaway goal with 35 seconds left in overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from three goals down to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in a thriller Monday night at Amalie Arena.