NHL Hockey Player News

Pionk was scratched for Saturday’s game against the Islanders and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game in Columbus.

Smith will replace Frederik Claesson, who is out with an upper-body injury. Smith, who was a healthy scratch for the last three games, has two goals and five assists (seven points) in 30 games this season.

Claesson suffered an upper-body injury against the Islanders on Saturday and will not be available for Sunday’s game in Columbus. Claesson will have an MRI done, which suggests that the injury could be fairly long-term.

Bobrovsky returns to the crease after sitting for one game due to team decision and serving as Joonas Korpisalo’s backup last night. Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 19 shots in a loss in Tampa Bay in his last start and has given up 17 goals on 119 shots (.857 SV%) in his last five starts.

Georgiev stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Rangers win over the Islanders on Saturday afternoon. Georgiev will start for the second straight day as Henrik Lundqvist gets a “mental break.” Despite stout outing yesterday, Georgiev has gone 3-6-0 with a 3.76 GAA and .890 SV% on the road this season.

Luongo allowed three goals on 23 shots in the Panthers 4-3 loss to the Flames on Friday. Luongo is in the middle of a very difficult stretch, going 0-4-0 with a 4.85 GAA and .832 SV% in his last five starts. The veteran has gone 4-8-0 with a 3.84 GAA and .878 SV% on the road this year.

Leivo has missed the last three games with back spasms but practiced on Saturday and could play on Sunday. If he does play, the Canucks will likely return Adam Gaudette to the AHL.

Hill allowed two goals on 23 shots in the Panthers loss to the Oilers on January 2nd. Darcy Kuemper has been starting the majority of the Coyotes games but Hill will make his 11th start tonight in Calgary. The 22-year-old has gone 5-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA, .930 SV% and one shutout on the road this season.

Gibson surrendered six goals on 35 shots in the Ducks loss to the Penguins on Friday. Gibson is now 0-5-3 with a 3.37 GAA and .898 SV% in his last nine starts as the Ducks have completely cooled off. Tonight he faces the Jets in Winnipeg—Gibson is 6-9-0 with a 2.73 GAA and .927 SV% on the road.

Rinne allowed four goals on 33 shots in the Predators loss in Columbus on Thursday. Rinne has allowed at least three goals in five of his last six starts, with the exception being an 18-save shutout in Toronto. He is 6-5-3 with a 2.62 GAA, .916 SV% and one shutout on the road this season.

Moore spent some time with the Maple Leafs while Zach Hyman was sidelined, collecting one goal and two assists in six games. Moore has impressed with the Marlies as well, tying for the team-lead in goals (19) and adding seven assists (26 points) in 30 games.

Sherwood has four goals and three assists (seven points) in 22 games with Cleveland this season. The Ohio native was in the ECHL at one point this year and is likely to serve as insurance or an extra forward for Sunday’s game.

Nolan has just 52 points (24G / 28A) in 372 career NHL games but has done a nice job in the AHL, picking up 10 goals and nine assists (19 points) in 30 games with the Rampage.

Kyrou has had a tough time finding offence early in his NHL career, picking up just one goal and one assist in 11 games this season. However, the 20-year-old has 11 goals and 14 assists (25 points) in 26 AHL games, so it’s probably only a matter of time before he starts racking up points for the Blues.

Hellebuyck gave up three goals on 22 shots in the Jets loss in Minnesota on Thursday. The loss snapped a short two-game winning streak for Hellebuyck, who is 2-2-0 with a 2.79 GAA and .910 SV% in his first four starts in January. This season has been a bit disappointing for Hellebuyck owners but he draws a great matchup tonight—the Ducks have lost 10 in a row while being outscored 36-16.

Hellebuyck gave up three goals on 22 shots in the Jets loss in Minnesota on Thursday. The loss snapped a short two-game winning streak for Hellebuyck, who is 2-2-0 with a 2.79 GAA and .910 SV% in his first four starts in January. This season has been a bit disappointing for Hellebuyck owners but he draws a great matchup tonight—the Ducks have lost 10 in a row while being outscored 36-16.

Mrazek stopped 27 of 29 shots in the Hurricanes loss in Tampa Bay on Thursday. The loss snapped a brief two-game losing skid for Mrazek, who has played very well over the last month—he is 4-3-0 with a 2.47 GAA, .917 SV% and one shutout over his last seven. This afternoon he faces a Predators team that has won five of their last seven (5-0-2).

Smith surrendered five goals on 26 shots in the Flames loss in Boston on January 3rd. Smith has been relegated to the back-up role due to his poor play and David Rittich’s breakout season. The long-time Coyotes netminder stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 6-1 win against his former team back in November.