The Vegas Golden Knights rapidly are rewriting the NHL's record book with respect to expansion teams, as they became the first club in the 100-year history of the league to win seven of its first eight games in its inaugural season. The Golden Knights look to match the longest winning streak by an expansion team when they vie for their fifth straight victory on Friday against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.

The New Jersey Devils should be a fresher team, if not a little healthier, when they try to rebound from their second loss of the season Friday against the visiting Ottawa Senators. The Devils have been idle since losing a 3-0 decision at home against San Jose on Oct. 20 for their second setback in eight games to start the season and could get three key players back in the lineup soon.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hope to conclude their four-game homestand with an even record when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Columbus began its stretch at Nationwide Arena with losses to Tampa Bay and Los Angeles before turning the tide with a 5-1 triumph over Buffalo on Wednesday.

The St. Louis Blues play away from home for the final time during a road-heavy first month of the season when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. St. Louis had eight of its first 11 games of 2017-18 scheduled away from Scottrade Center, where it made a rare appearance on Wednesday and improved to 3-0-0 with a 5-2 triumph over Calgary.

Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville rarely has been shy about shuffling the deck when the results haven't gone his way. As a result, the Blackhawks will feature new defensive pairings on Friday, when they host the Nashville Predators.

The Calgary Flames hope for improvement from their special teams when they begin a season-high seven-game homestand against the Dallas Stars on Friday. The Flames are just 3-for-27 with the man advantage over their last seven games and have allowed six power-play tallies - two in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to red-hot St. Louis - in the last four contests to slip back to .500.