Weekend Watch List: Dolphins looking to keep playoff hopes alive

Published Dec. 11, 2014 6:25 p.m. ET

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Hana Ostapchuk

For the first time since August, all is quiet on the college football front, but only temporarily, with bowl action soon to heat up.

Nevertheless, with three weeks to go in the NFL regular season and the NBA, NHL and college basketball going strong, there's still a plethora of action featuring your favorite Florida teams to take in this weekend.

FRIDAY

NHL -- Panthers at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida)

NBA -- Magic at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida)

NBA -- Heat at Jazz, 9 p.m. (Sun Sports)

CBK -- Texas Southern at Florida, 7 p.m.

Spotlight: The Florida Panthers have found a bit of a groove as they've climbed to ninth in the East with an 11-8-7 record. Coming off a loss to the St. Louis Blues on Monday, the Panthers hit Detroit in the middle game of three-game trek. Aaron Ekblad, who was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, has been everything the Panthers had hoped for and more. Against the Blues, Ekblad tied the game late in the third on a goal, tallying up 57 points in 82 games for this season. The Red Wings won three in a row following a 4-3 loss to Florida on Dec. 2, but saw the streak endWednesday in a 2-1 shootout loss to Toronto.

SATURDAY

NHL -- Lightning at Capitals, 7 p.m. (Sun Sports)

NHL -- Panthers at Sabres, 7 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida)

NBA -- Hawks at Magic, 7 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida)

CBK -- FSU at Notre Dame, 8 p.m.

Spotlight: The Hawks and Magic play a home-and-home back-to-back on Friday and Saturday. The Hawks will carry an eight-game win streak into Friday's game, their longest winning streak in 17 years. The Magic had won two in a row before suffering a last-second 91-89 loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. They'll look to improve upon a 2-6 home mark when they host the Hawks on Saturday.

SUNDAY

NFL -- Buccaneers at Panthers, 1 p.m.

NFL -- Jaguars at Ravens, 1 p.m.

NFL -- Dolphins at Patriots, 1 p.m.

NBA -- Bulls at Heat, 6 p.m. (Sun Sports)

CBK -- Jacksonville at Florida, 4 p.m. (FOX Sports Florida)

Spotlight: The Dolphins' playoff chances took a turn for the worse last Sunday when they lost 28-13 at home to the Baltimore Ravens. If Miami thought there was pressure to win before, they better get ready for what's around the corner. With a 7-6 record in a crowded AFC playoff race, even winning their final three games wouldn't guarantee a playoff berth. Making a 3-0 finish all the more difficult is a trip to New England to take on the 10-3 Patriots. The Dolphins have won the past two meetings against their AFC East rival.

NEWS OF NOTES

-- The Miami Marlins were busy at the Winter Meetings, acquiring second-baseman Dee Gordon and right-handed pitcher Dan Haren from the L.A. Dodgers, right-handed pitcher Mat Latos from the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Andre Rienzo from the Chicago White Sox.

-- Florida Gators receiver Michael McNeely was honored as the 2014 National Football Foundation Legacy Award winner on Tuesday morning. McNeely made his biggest impression on the NFF when the unfamiliar walk-on receiver ran 21 yards for a touchdown on a fake field goal in a 38-20 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.

-- The Florida State Seminoles landed 5-star defensive end Josh Sweat on Wednesday. Coming out of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., Sweat was the No. 3 ranked prospect in the country.

-- On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning's captain Steven Stamkos earned his 250th goal in a 5-3 loss with the Washington Capitals. Stamkos is the 10th youngest player to reach the mark.

-- Although the Tampa Bay Rays have called the Tropicana Field their home for the past 16 years, the Rays and St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman announced on Tuesday that they will be on the hunt for a new home. The new stadium sites hold potential in both Pinellas and Hilsborough counties, and the franchise must make their decision by Dec.31, 2017.

-- The Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad was named the NHL's third star of the week on Monday. The No. 1 overall draft pick of 2014 had a career-high of three assists in one game, ending the week with a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

TWEET(S) OF THE WEEK

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their trade for infielder Dee Gordon and pitcher Dan Haren to the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Gordon took to Twitter and Instagram to make his own personal announcement.

Dan Haren had a little less to say about the trade.

In exchange for Gordon and Haren, the Marlins sent southpaw Andrew Heaney to the Dodgers, who subsequently dealt him to the Los Angeles Angels for Howie Kendrick.

Heaney didn't hesitate to joke about his brief time with the Dodgers.

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