The defending Stanley Cup champions take on the best team in the NHL on Thursday night, as the Florida Panthers pay a visit to the Colorado Avalanche in a marquee matchup.

There is momentum for the league to have more games in which both home and road teams wear solid-colored jerseys.

Friday offers matinee NHL hockey courtesy of the Global Series as the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Nashville Predators with a 2 p.m. ET puck drop from Stockholm, Sweden. NHL Network has the telecast. There are a couple of Swedish players on both sides, and ...

The Rangers have been playing catch-up for most of the season, but in an Eastern Conference where seemingly anything is possible, the Blueshirts are still in the playoff hunt. With points in four straight games, the Rangers are in the conference’s Wild Card picture.

Sitting six games above NHL .500, the Isles are in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race and have the look of a playoff team as we head towards the holidays. Perhaps most encouraging is the fact that the Islanders are sitting in a good spot despite playing the toughest schedule in the NHL this season.

When a Montreal Canadiens goaltender comes in to make their NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins, there seems to be magic in the air that the netminder gets a victory as well as eventually becomes the team’s franchise goaltender.

The league says the response has been "really positive" from broadcast partners, teams and equipment managers.