Devils try to avoid eighth straight loss; Matthew Perry talks Stanley Cup (Puck Previews)

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET

Who'd have thought, going into this season, that this game would feature a Leafs team that looks like a playoff lock and a Rangers team desperate to hold onto eighth place? But here we are in bizarro world.

Preview: Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET

What an awful time for the Devils to go on a losing streak. They've lost seven straight, and now sit 10th in the East. But all is not lost. A win versus the Bruins and a Rangers loss and New Jersey is back in control of their own destiny. They'll have to hope Boston's six-goal outburst Monday wasn't a sign they've found their offence.

Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames, 9:30 p.m. ET

Cory Schneider makes his 12th straight start for the Canucks, (Update: he's sick. Luongo starts.) who come into Calgary having won three straight. Calgary is without Jiri Hudler and Matt Stajan. Even worse: the only team Calgary can beat these days is Colorado, who account for both wins in their recent 2-6 stretch, and Vancouver is not Colorado.

Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at Edmonton Oilers, 9:30 p.m. ET

Three points back of eighth, the Coyotes need points. Good thing they tend to get them from Edmonton. They haven't gone pointless in a date with the Oilers in their last six meetings. Two points is a pretty decent bet: the Oilers just returned home from a road trip where they lost the last three games.

Preview: Colorado Avalanche at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET

The Ducks are back on fire, 5-1-1 in their last seven. The Avalanche, meanwhile, are pretty terrible right now. That about sums it up.

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight's starting goalies, check out Goalie Post.

Evening Reading

• Matthew Perry talks hockey, being booed during the Stanley Cup Final, and how much better his place looks with a Stanley Cup in it.

• Jaromir Jagr talks Bruins' offence: “Sometimes it’s hard for guys that haven’t played top six because they’re not used to making risky plays. But sometimes you have to take risky plays to make some great offensive play." [CSNNE]

• The Nashville Predators are working on getting new top prospect Filip Forsberg to join the club before the end of the season. He could arrive as early as this weekend. [Tennessean]

• Todd McLellan could have worked the Sharks into the ground over their lacklustre effort Tuesday. But he didn't. Great guy. [Working the Corners]

• Sean McIndoe gives you a guide to the last 18 days of the NHL schedule. [Grantland]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: meesohawnee (whose name screams "take me seriously), posits a conspiracy theory on Bryzgalov's alleged nap:

Uh. Sure.

Bold Prediction: Shutout for Mike Smith.