(AP) — Highlighting tonight's nine-game NHL slate are the top team in the West and a deadline-day seller still battling for a playoff spot.

The Minnesota Wild climbed back atop the Western Conference standings with a 3-1 decision over San Jose Sunday. They host St. Louis tonight. The Blues still have a hold on the final Western Conference wild card, after blanking the Avalanche, 3-0, Sunday in Denver.

A couple of Metropolitan Division powers are on the ice tonight, with the Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the back-end of a home-and-home matchup against the New Jersey Devils. Columbus shutout the Devils Sunday in Newark.

Coming off a 1-0 overtime win over the Ligthtning in Tampa last night, the New York Rangers likely would like to score a few more goals as they head sourth tonight for a game against the Florida Panthers. As of this morning, the Panthers are two points out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.s

Elsewhere around the NHL, Philadelphia visits Buffalo, Detroit is at Toronto, the N.Y. Islanders are in Edmonton, and Carolina is in Denver to play the Avalanche. The late games have Montreal at Vancouver, and Nashville visiting Anaheim.

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