EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings aim to go into the All-Star break on a winning note when they play the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN1, SNE, SNO, SNW).

The Kings have a seven-point lead on the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division but don't want to squander points in their final game before their four-day break.

"You've got four or five days to live with the game after and think about it," Kings defenseman Luke Schenn said. "We're not fully comfortable with where we are, so we've got to keep pushing forward. Colorado's a good team with a lot of skill … they're obviously going to rebound and play hard tonight, so it's going to be a really good challenge for us."

CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames know the gravity of their situation when they host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, FS-TN) in the final game for each team before the NHL All-Star break.

The Flames (21-23-3) are 26th in the League standings, 13th in the Western Conference and sixth in the Pacific Division, eight points behind the third-place Arizona Coyotes.

"We recognize the situation," said Flames coach Bob Hartley, whose team surprised by making the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. "We need to put on a streak. Coming back from the All-Star break it's a final sprint; a final sprint with the trade deadline as a hurdler.

"Apart from this, we know where we're at. We have the standings board right in the middle of our gym. It's clear. That should be our only focus. We can talk about goals-for, goals-against, power play, penalty-killing, goaltending … one thing matters right now is getting two points and moving up in the standings."

TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to start another win streak before the All-Star break when they play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, SN, SUN).

The Lightning (26-18-4) had their seven-game win streak ended in a 5-2 loss Saturday to the Florida Panthers. Tampa Bay currently is the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Eastern Conference with 56 points.

Lightning forward Ryan Callahan said he and his teammates need to come out with a strong effort against the Maple Leafs and not allow one loss to turn into a losing streak.

"We have to keep our focus and not look ahead to the break," Callahan said. "These are two important points and we desperately need. So concentrate on [Wednesday] and then we'll get a little break. This is an important divisional game. Sometimes after you have such a big win streak you can let it get away from you after you lose that first game. We put ourselves behind the eight ball quite a little bit early in the season and now we've gotten ourselves back in the hunt. But we need to continue to work. We haven't accomplished anything."

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is expected to return from injury Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN).

"He'll take the warmup, and we'll see from there," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "I would say he's probable. I anticipate him probably being in. But we'll leave a little leeway in the warmup."

Carlson has missed the past 12 games because of a lower-body injury; he last played Dec. 26. He wouldn't confirm if he was playing but said he's ready.

"There's a lot of other things that go into it. And I've been feeling good for the past week or week and a half or so, and I just keep progressing and getting better, which is a positive," Carlson said. "We'll see where that takes us."

SAN JOSE -- The Colorado Avalanche are expected to start goaltender Calvin Pickard, who is battling the flu, when they face the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN1, SNE, SNO, SNW).

Pickard, defenseman Erik Johnson and third-line center Mikhail Grigorenko missed Colorado's morning skate at SAP Center because of an illness that has hit the team.

With Pickard missing the skate, coach Patrick Roy played goal during the morning skate.

"[Pickard] is going to be fine," Roy said. "He said he was already feeling better. Just needs some fluid in his body. He should be ready for tonight's game. ... I'm confident everybody's going to be ready to play."

VANCOUVER -- Brandon Sutter will center the top line for the Vancouver Canucks against the Nashville Predators at Rogers Arena on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; FS-TN, SNP).

It's Sutter's first game since sustaining a sports hernia Nov. 10. He had surgery Dec. 1.

He'll skate between Jannik Hansen and Daniel Sedin in a different role for Sutter, who is known more for his defensive abilities, and could mean a lot of ice time after missing 33 games.

"First game back after a while, you just want to play a simple game," Sutter said. "But if the chances are there, we'll try to create some offense and try to be a little bit dynamic. Daniel and Jannik have been two of our best players, so I just want to do what I can to produce some offense and make sure we are good in our own end too."

The Florida Panthers are hoping to build on successive wins against the 2015 Stanley Cup finalists when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., ET; TSN4, FS-F).

Florida defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Friday and followed that with a 5-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. They are looking for a third straight win to complete a four-game homestand heading into the All-Star break.

"We don't overlook anyone," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant told the Miami Herald. "We're the Florida Panthers. We're in first place because we play well most nights. But any team in the League can beat you. Toronto is a good team.

"We had a great weekend. But hey, that's over with. It's going to be a battle and we have to be ready to take that game. Don't pack your bags for vacation just yet."

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets could be without center Bryan Little when they host the Arizona Coyotes at MTS Centre on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-A, TSN3).

Little, who leads the Jets (21-24-3) with 15 goals, did not participate in the morning skate for undisclosed reasons. He also did not finish practice Monday.

"We had to have him looked at [Tuesday] and run some tests," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "As the plan is right now, unless something changes he is going to take warmup. And if he feels good he is going to play."

If Little does not play, he would join Mathieu Perreault as another Winnipeg forward out of the lineup. Perreault will not play because of a lower-body injury; forward Patrice Cormier will dress in his place. Forward Adam Lowry (upper body) will miss his fifth consecutive game.

Little's absence would shift leading scorer Blake Wheeler to center on Winnipeg's top line, with captain Andrew Ladd and rookie Nikolaj Ehlers.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Mark McNeill will make his NHL debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at PNC Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN1, CSN-CH).

McNeill, selected No. 18 in the 2011 NHL Draft, was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Monday. He has nine goals and 10 assists in 29 AHL games.

"It's going to be a dream come true," McNeill, 22, said. "It's something you dream about as a kid and that day is finally here. I think it's going to help if I go out there and throw the body around early and get the nerves out of the way."

OTTAWA -- Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner will face his former team, the Ottawa Senators, for the first time Tuesday at Canadian Tire Centre (7:30 p.m. ET; MSG-B, BELL TV, RDS2, TSN5).

The Senators (23-20-6) traded Lehner and center David Legwand to the Sabres (19-26-4) on June 26, 2015, for the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, which the Senators used to select forward Colin White.

Lehner, 24, was selected by the Senators in the second pick (No. 46) in the 2009 NHL Draft. He played 86 games for the Senators between 2010 and 2015, and was 30-36-13 with a .914 save percentage and 2.88 goals-against average.

He had been considered the goalie of the future but when he sustained a season-ending concussion Feb. 16, it opened the door for the emergence of Andrew Hammond behind No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson.

Lehner sprained his ankle in his Sabres debut against the Senators on Oct. 8 and missed 39 games.