Dmitry Kulikov did not travel to St. Louis, so Falk is back with the Sabres and will be in the lineup. Falk has no points, two shots on goal while playing 13:35 TOI per game in his first two games with the Sabres.
Comeau has missed the last four games with a groin injury, but will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Comeau has one goal and one assist in 10 games this season and he could skate in the top-6 with Matt Duchene out.
Duchene missed Monday’s practice and will miss his second straight game on Tuesday. Duchene is Colorado’s leading scorer, so this is obviously a big loss for the Avalanche. Consider Duchene as day-to-day.
Varlamov stopped 44 of 45 shots in Colorado’s loss to the Bruins on Sunday. Despite an incredible outing, Varlamov was still stuck with the loss. Varlamov is 1-6-0 with a 3.46 GAA and .887 SV% in his last seven starts. It has been a rough stretch for the Russian netminder, who starts tonight vs. the Kings. Varlamov has gone 2-3-0 with a 2.81 GAA and .905 SV% on home ice.
Karlsson was hurt in Saturday’s game in Tampa Bay, but X-rays on his ankle came back negative. It looks like he avoided a serious injury, but he still isn’t expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday. If Karlsson can’t play, expect Michael Haley to re-enter the lineup.
Kopitar missed Sunday’s game in Winnipeg and it sounds like he is a ways away from returning to the lineup. With Kopitar out, Jeff Carter is expected to continue to centre the top line with Trevor Lewis seeing an expanded role.
Tkachuk missed the last two games with a wrist injury, but he was back at practice on Monday and is expected to play on Tuesday. Tkachuk has registered six points (3G / 3A) in his first 12 career NHL games. Tkachuk is expected to skate on the Flames’ second line with Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik.
Allen was pulled after he allowed four goals on 12 shots in the Blues’ 8-4 loss in Columbus on Saturday. Allen has lost four of his last five starts while posting an ugly 4.05 GAA and .856 SV%. Despite the recent struggles, Allen draws a strong matchup tonight vs. Buffalo. The 26-year-old has gone 3-0-2 with a 1.18 GAA and .953 SV% at home this season.
Elliott gave up four goals on 28 shots in the Flames’ loss to the Rangers on Saturday. Elliott has lost his last five starts while posting a 3.62 GAA and .869 SV% and he draws a tough matchup tonight in Minnesota. The 31-year-old has gone 2-3-0 with a 3.55 GAA and .875 SV% in five road starts this season.
De Leo, 21, has picked up three goals and four assists (seven points) in 12 games with Manitoba. De Leo has been recalled because Kyle Connor (upper-body) has been moved to IR. De Leo has appeared in two career NHL games and his third is expected to come on Tuesday.
Connor was injured on a hit from behind by Kings’ forward Kyle Clifford on Sunday and the injury will keep him out for at least one week, which is why he was moved to IR immediately. His movement to IR opened up a roster spot for the Jets’ to recall Chase De Leo from Manitoba (AHL).
Anderson allowed two goals on 42 shots in the Senators’ overtime loss to Minnesota on Sunday. Anderson has gone 2-2-1 with a 1.77 GAA and .947 SV% in five starts in November and tonight he will make his 12th start of the season. Tonight he will take on a Flyers team that has lost three of their last four and sit at .500 on the season.
Kronwall has permanent damage to his knees, so he will likely come out of the lineup every so often to rest and rehab his knees. With Kronwall expected to come out, Ryan Sproul is expected to play on Tuesday.
Bjugstad’s season debut continues to be pushed back as it looks like he won’t be able to return until Saturday at the earliest. Bjugstad’s return adds a ton of depth to the Panthers’ lineup. Monitor his status leading into the weekend.
Kulikov has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury and he will miss his third consecutive game on Tuesday. Kulikov remains day-to-day, so monitor his status prior to Thursday’s contest vs. the Lightning.
Hyman was not on the ice for Monday’s practice session, but he is expected to return to his spot on the Maple Leafs’ top line on Tuesday. Hyman has scored goals in back-to-back games.
Parise has missed the last six games with a foot injury, but he returned to practice on Monday, which suggests that he could be back in the lineup later this week. Monitor Parise’s status prior to Tuesday’s game vs. Calgary.
Faulk has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but he appears to be on-track to return on Friday. Head coach Bill Peters has not ruled Faulk out for Tuesday, but it doesn’t seem likely that he will play until later this week.
Vanek is eligible to return from long-term IR on Sunday and he said he is on track to play that night. The Red Wings have struggled without Vanek in the lineup, so his return will be vital for their offence.
Mrazek stopped all 12 shots that he faced after replacing Jimmy Howard in the Red Wings’ 5-0 loss in Montreal on Saturday. Tonight he will make his first start since November 4th and he comes in on a three-game losing streak. Mrazek is 3-2-0 with a 3.17 GAA and .897 SV% in five starts at Joe Louis Arena.
