Roberto Luongo has not started on back-to-back nights this season, so coach Gerrard Gallant will turn to Montoya like he has all season long. Montoya made 32 saves in the Panthers 4-2 win over the Islanders in his last start. He enters play in Dallas with a 3-2-2 record, 3.03 GAA and .892 SV% on the road this season.
Hendricks reportedly suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday and was spotted wearing a walking boot on Friday. Monitor his status when pre-game warmups get underway at 1:30 pm ET on Saturday.
The Oilers take on the Senators at 2 pm ET, so there obviously will be no morning skate. Monitor Pouliot’s status during pre-game warmups at 1:30 pm ET.
Bonino will miss his second straight game tonight and will likely miss tomorrow’s game as well. However, head coach Willie Desjardins says that he doesn’t expect Bonino to miss significant time. Consider him day-to-day.
Varlamov allowed five goals on 30 shots in the Avs’ loss to the Rangers on Thursday. Despite losing four in a row and allowing 10 goals in his last two starts, the Avalanche will go with Varly again today vs. Dallas. He is 2-0-0 with a 2.43 GAA and .931 SV% vs. the Stars this season and they will likely be without Tyler Seguin tonight.
Rask stopped 20 of 21 after replacing Niklas Svedberg on Tuesday vs. Dallas. So much for a night off for Rask, who looks like he will start tonight in Vancouver. Post All Star break, Rask has gone 3-3-0 despite posting a 1.79 GAA and .949 SV%. The Bruins are in Vancouver tonight, Rask has gone 7-7-3 on the road this season.
Roberto Luongo has not started on back-to-back nights this season, so expect coach Gerrard Gallant to turn to Montoya like he has all season long. Montoya made 32 saves in the Panthers 4-2 win over the Islanders in his last start. He enters play in Dallas with a 3-2-2 record, 3.03 GAA and .892 SV% on the road this season.
Smith allowed two goals on 36 shots in the Coyotes 2-1 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday. With a few days off in between games, Smith will make his sixth straight start, having gone 2-2-1 with 1.56 GAA and .953 SV% in his previous five outings. He has yet to face the Sharks this season, but is 5-10-3 at home.
When Devils GM Lou Lamoriello was asked about Clowe’s status, he said there is “not a chance” that Clowe plays again this season. He was also unsure whether Clowe would be back next year. Clowe carries a $4.85M cap-hit and is signed through the 2018-19 season.
Hanzal is set to undergo surgery next week to repair a lingering issue with his back, and the procedure is likely to end Hanzal's season.Hanzal has been sidelined since January 29, contributing eight goals and 24 points in only 37 games. This is the same ailment that's cost him time the past few seasons. A timeline for recovery is expected after the surgery is completed, but GM Don Maloney anticipates Hanzal will make a full recovery.
Lehner allowed four goals on 29 shots in the Senators shootout loss to the Penguins on Thursday. He has gone 2-4-1 with a 2.56 GAA and .919 SV% in his last seven consecutive starts. Despite the high-volume of losses, he has a great matchup today with the Oilers in town—Lehner is 3-6-2 at home.
Lehtonen allowed three goals on 44 shots in the Stars win over the Bruins on Tuesday. He has won two in a row, but now has a new, more capable backup in Jhonas Enroth, so Lehtonen’s leash just got a lot shorter. He is 4-2-1 with a 2.70 GAA and .916 SV% post All Star break.
Miller was pulled from Monday’s game in Minnesota after he allowed five goals on 18 shots. February has been hard on Miller so far—he is 1-3-0 with a 3.80 GAA, .877 SV% and one shutout so far this month. Tonight he will face a Bruins team who have lost three of four in February as well.
Niemi allowed five goals on 33 shots in the Sharks OT loss to the Capitals on Wednesday. Despite losing three in a row while giving up a combined 12 goals on 88 shots (.863 SV%) the Sharks will Niemi back out there tonight in Arizona. In the two previous meetings, Niemi is 1-0-1 with a 2.40 GAA and .907 SV% against the Coyotes.
Ryder has not played in the last seven games, but he will be back in tonight in Chicago. Ryder has collected six goals and 12 assists (18 points) in 42 games this season.
Gelinas was a healthy scratch in the last six games, but will be back in the lineup tonight in Chicago. He has four goals and seven assists (11 points) in 34 games this season. He will replace Mark Fraser in the lineup.
Vlasic will sit out of his fourth straight game with an upper=-body injury he suffered over a week ago. He remains without a timeline for his return.
Bolduc will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
Murphy missed Tuesday’s game in St. Louis, but will be back in tonight vs. the Sharks. Murphy has no points in his last eight games and has just six points (3G / 3A) in 49 games this season.
Vitale will miss his ninth consecutive game tonight, but is nearing a return and could be back in the lineup tomorrow vs. the Rangers.
