Schaller was a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Brandon Sutter, who is dealing with an undisclosed ailment. Schaller has four goals on 36 shots (11.1 SH%) and no assists in 33 games this season.
Sutter will not play against the Golden Knights because he is "banged up" according to head coach Travis Green. Sutter's injury is not related to the groin injury that cost him an extended period of time. Tim Schaller will replace him on the fourth line.
Markstrom allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Canucks' loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Markstrom posted an impressive 43-save shutout last Thursday but has since lost three in a row while allowing a combined 10 goals on 94 shots (.894 SV%). One of those losses came against the Golden Knights, who he'll face again tonight--he gave up five goals on 39 shots in a 6-3 loss.
Price made 38 saves on 39 shots in the Canadiens' win in Vancouver on Tuesday. Price has been terrific against the Canucks throughout his career but has been average against the Flames. He is 7-3-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .929 SV% on the road this year and tonight he faces a Flames team that is 6-2-0 while scoring 3.25 goals per game since their coaching change.
Stalock is dealing with an illness but head coach Bruce Boudreau expects him to serve as Devan Dubnyk's backup in Arizona.
Spurgeon has missed the last seven games with a broken bone in his right hand and will be a game-time decision Thursday in Arizona. Spurgeon's original timetable was two weeks and it has been 15 days, so this would be right on schedule. The Wild went 3-3-1 without Spurgeon.
Bishop allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Stars loss to the Oilers on Monday. Bishop has lost two straight but he's only allowed more than two goals in one of his last eight games--he is 4-2-2 with a 1.74 GAA, .945 SV% and one shutout over that span. He is also 3-3-1 with a 2.70 GAA and .912 SV% on the road this year.
Carlsson has scored one goal with eight assists (nine points) in 28 games with the Monsters this season. The former first-round pick (No.29 overall in 2015)has appeared in 17 career NHL games to-date and gets his first call-up of the season with Andrew Peeke (broken finger) going on IR.
Peeke had a Mike Green slap-shot ramp up his stick and off of his hand during Tuesday's win in Detroit and he broke his finger on the play. Peeke will be out until mid-to-late January and Gabriel Carlsson was recalled from Cleveland to take his spot on the roster.
Joseph started the season at a decent pace, posting seven points (4G / 3A) while playing 12:36 ATOI in his first 21 games but has no points and a minus-4 rating while playing just 9:43 ATOI in his last 10. He'll go back to Syracuse to get his game back in order, which means that Mitchell Stephens will remain with the Lightning and play on the fourth line on Thursday.
Rittich surrendered three goals on 30 shots in the Flames loss to the Hurricanes last Saturday. Cam Talbot started Tuesday, so Rittich will be well-rested for tonight's game vs. the Canadiens. Saturday's loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Rittich, who is 9-2-2 with a 2.36 GAA, .919 SV% and one shutout at the Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Tonight he faces a Canadiens team that has won four of their last five while scoring 13 goals (2.60 GF/gm).
Dubnyk's last start came on November 16th. He stopped 24 of 28 shots in a 4-3 OT loss to the Hurricanes and ended up missing the next 14 games due to personal reasons. Dubnyk's wife is battling illness, so he took one month off to be with her before returning as the backup on Tuesday. Tonight he faces the Coyotes for the third time this season--he is 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .922 SV% in the first two meetings.
Kuemper stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Coyotes 3-2 win in San Jose on Tuesday. Kuemper has allowed two goals in three straight games and is 5-1-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .935 SV% in his last six starts. Tonight he faces the team that drafted him for the second time this season--he allowed four goals on 24 shots in 4-3 loss in the first meeting (Nov.9).
Reimer stopped all 32 shots that he faced in the Hurricanes shutout win in Calgary last Saturday. Petr Mrazek started in Winnipeg on Tuesday but look for Reimer to start for the sixth time in the last 12 games. Reimer has been terrific in his previous five starts, going 4-1-0 while posting a 1.41 GAA, .956 SV% and two shutouts. He gets set to face a Colorado team that played last night but have won nine of their last 11 (9-1-1) while averaging 3.82 goals per game.
Brown missed the Kings' morning skate and is not feeling 100 percent, so the Kings have listed him as a game-time decision. Matt Luff will replace Brown in the lineup if he can't play.
Georgiev allowed three goals on 22 shots in the Rangers loss to the Predators on Monday. Georgiev has won five of his last seven starts while posting a 2.16 GAA, .936 SV% and two shutouts. Tonight he faces a Maple Leafs team that he had a lot of success against in 2018-19, going 2-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .956 SV% in three games vs. Toronto.
Komarov played 11:37 TOI vs. the Predators on Tuesday but will be replaced by Tom Kuhnhackl in Boston on Thursday.
Kuhnhackl was called up prior to Tuesday's game vs. the Predators but did not play. He is expected to replace Leo Komarov in Boston and is still searching for his first point of the season.
Clifton has been a healthy scratch for the last three games but will replace John Moore, who is out with an illness. Clifton has two goals on 19 shots (10.5 SH%) and a plus-4 rating in 25 games this season.
