Hellebuyck allowed three goals on 37 shots in the Jets win over the Rangers on Tuesday. Hellebuyck has gone 5-1-1 with a 2.95 GAA and .920 SV% in his last seven starts. Tonight he is expected to face the Jets for the third time this season—he is 2-0-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .915 SV% in the first two meetings.
Smith gave up three goals on 24 shots after replacing David Rittich in the Flames 5-2 loss to the Sharks last Thursday. It has been a rough season for Smith, who has gone 3-3-0 with a 3.48 GAA and .889 SV% in his last six outings. Tonight’s matchup pins him up against a Panthers team averaging 3.02 GF/pg but with James Reimer in the other net, he has a chance to record a ‘W’.
Cernak will sit out for a second straight game and remains listed as day-to-day. The rookie defenseman is having a nice campaign, scoring two goals with seven assists, a plus-14 rating and 56 shots in 34 games. The Lightning obviously trust his game a lot, as he’s played over 20 minutes in each of the last five games and averages 18:33 TOI/gm for the season.
As expected, Joseph’s stint with the Crunch was very short-lived, he likely never actually left the team. The move was made to give the Lightning an extra defenseman for Tuesday’s game and Joseph is waiver-exempt.
Morin has been sidelined by a knee injury since November 24th but heads to Lehigh Valley to get back up to game speed. The 2013 No.11 overall pick will likely return to the Flyers in a week or so and could replace a veteran like Andrew MacDonald in the lineup.
Kiselevich drew back into the lineup on Tuesday but will come right back out of it tonight vs. the Flames. Ian McCoshen will replace him on the third pairing.
McCoshen was a healthy scratch vs. Dallas on Tuesday but will replacing Bogdan Kiselevich in the lineup on Thursday. McCoshen is still looking for his first point of the season—he was held off of the scoresheet while averaging 11:33 TOI/gm in his first eight games.
Bobrovsky stopped all 20 shots that he faced in the Blue Jackets shutout win over the Capitals on Tuesday. Bobrovsky extended his winning streak to four games, posting a 2.00 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout in the process. Tonight he faces one of the best defensive teams in hockey, but the Islanders 4-2-2 while averaging just 1.88 goals for per game in their last eight games.
Howard allowed two goals on 34 shots in the Red Wings win in Nashville on Tuesday. The win ended a two-game slide for Howard, who is 5-3-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .904 SV% in his last eight outings. The Red Wings have had a surprisingly tough time with the Senators this season but Howie has posted a strong .925 SV% and 2.57 GAA in two starts against them (0-2-0 though).
Sceviour, who is on injured reserve, broke a bone near his wrist while blocking a shot in Washington and will be “out for a bit” according to Panthers head coach Bob Boughner.
McGinn made his season debut on Tuesday but it was his first game in 10 months so he will rest Thursday vs. the Flames. Jayce Hawryluk will replace him on the Panthers’ fourth line.
Hawryluk missed the last four games with a lower-body injury that he suffered against St. Louis on February 5th, but will play Thursday vs. the Flames. Hawryluk will replace Jamie McGinn in the lineup and is expected to skate on the fourth line.
Dadonov missed Wednesday’s practice with an illness but will be available for Thursday’s game. Dadonov has gone cold recently, scoring just once with no assists in his last six games.
Reimer was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the Panthers loss to the Lightning on Sunday. Since the calendar flipped to 2019, Reimer has gone 2-3-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .905 SV%, which is slightly better than his overall numbers on the season. Still, he hasn’t been very good this season and tonight’s matchup with the Flames is not a friendly one.
Schneider gave up four goals on 33 shots in the Devils loss to the Wild last Saturday. Schneider has lost both of his starts while allowing five goals on 61 shots (.918 SV%). Schneider is still looking for his first win of the season—having gone 0-6-2 with a 4.12 GAA and .868 SV% in 11 games this season.
Markstrom missed Monday’s game due to an injury but appears set to return to the crease on Wednesday. Markstrom was on the ice for the morning skate and should face a Ducks team that has basically fallen apart. Markstrom is 2-2-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .927 SV% in his last five starts.
Lettieri, 24, has not recorded a point in 18 games with the Rangers this season, but has 27 points (12G / 15A) in 29 AHL games.
Kampf is expected to miss at least 2-3 more weeks, so he was moved to IR to open up a roster spot. Expect Dylan Sikura to remain with the Blackhawks while Kampf is out.
Markstrom missed Monday’s game due to an injury but appears set to return to the crease on Wednesday. Markstrom was on the ice for the morning skate and should face a Ducks team that has basically fallen apart. Markstrom is 2-2-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .927 SV% in his last five starts.
Nichushkin was back in the Stars lineup on Tuesday but played just 7:42 TOI and will come back out of the lineup on Thursday.
