Time is running out for the Carolina Hurricanes as they conclude three straight on the road Monday against the New York Rangers, whose sand in the hourglass sank to the bottom long ago. Carolina is coming off a 3-2 victory over Chicago on Thursday for its third victory in five contests after a six-game slide (0-4-2), but finds itself six points behind Columbus for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a five-game losing streak after ascending to the top of the Metropolitan Division and look to begin moving forward again with a second straight victory when the Vegas Golden Knights pay a visit Monday night. The Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division, three points out of first place after a huge 2-1 victory over Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon.

The race for the NHL goal-scoring lead collides in Washington on Monday when the scorching-hot Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets visit Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. Ovechkin and Laine are tied at the top of the league with 40 goals each as Ovechkin reached that mark for the ninth time in his 13 seasons while the 19-year-old Laine has scored 15 goals during his current 11-game point streak in his second season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have turned things around with four straight victories and look to avoid a letdown when they host the struggling Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The Blue Jackets occupy the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and sit four points behind Philadelphia for third place in the crowded Metropolitan Division after a 3-2 victory over Detroit on Friday.

The surging Florida Panthers attempt to extend their franchise-record home winning streak to nine games when they host the struggling Ottawa Senators on Monday night. The Panthers edged the New York Rangers 4-3 in a shootout Saturday to earn a point for a ninth straight contest (8-0-1) overall and remain two points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand.

The Anaheim Ducks continue to walk the tightrope known as the Western Conference postseason race and hope to improve their precarious perch when they host the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Anaheim dropped both games of a road trip - 4-2 against Nashville on Thursday and 2-1 versus Dallas on Friday - and is third in the Pacific Division, one point behind second-place San Jose but one point from dropping out of playoff position in the West.

The Los Angeles Kings look to rebound from one of their worst performances of the season as they begin a three-game stretch versus teams outside playoff contention with a matchup against the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The Kings lost for only the second time in six games Saturday after getting demolished by St. Louis 7-2 and sits one point out of third in the Pacific Division and the second wild card in the Western Conference.

The San Jose Sharks will try to maintain their second-place standing in the Pacific Division when they complete a six-game homestand Monday versus the Detroit Red Wings. San Jose, which is 12 points behind Vegas and one ahead of Anaheim in the division while only two points clear of ninth in the Western Conference entering Sunday, lost 2-0 to Washington on Saturday as Sharks coach Peter DeBoer questioned his club's urgency.