Hamhuis has been sidelined with a leg injury since November 20th and will miss another game tonight in Philadelphia, but he said that the plan calls for him to be back in the lineup in Carolina on Friday.
Varlamov stopped 36 of 38 shots in the Avs’ 2-1 defeat in Washington on Monday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Varly, who was given Tuesday off, but will be back between the pipes tonight in Florida. He is 5-3-1 vs. the Eastern Conference with an identical 2.74 GAA and .921 SV% as he has posted vs. the West.
Miller has been sidelined with an illness for the last two games. He is coming off of a 27-save performance in the Canucks 3-1 loss to the Panthers last Thursday. Tonight he should make for a decent start against a Flyers team who are missing their starting goalie and two regulars on the blue line.
Neil has been out with a knee injury since December 11th, but was able to join the team for a skate this morning. Despite being on the ice, he needs to be a full participant in a practice before his return is imminent.
Anderson made 31 saves on 32 shots in the Senators win over the Coyotes on Saturday. He was given Tuesday night off, but will be back in tonight vs. the Habs. Anderson is 2-1-1 with a 1.98 GAA and .932 SV% to start January and catches a break with Montreal coming in on the second half of a back-to-back. Andy has gone 6-2-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .928 SV% at home.
Johnson will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury, but head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful he will have his leading scorer back in the next two games before the All Star break.
Everberg, 23, has on goal and three assists in 19 games with Colorado. In his time in Lake Erie he has collected three gaols and one assist in 10 games. He is expected to be in the lineup tonight vs. the Panthers.
Street has failed to register a point in three games with Colorado this season. While in Lake Erie he has one goal and one assist in four games.
Despite taking part in recent practice and being active in line rushes, Gionta will be held out tonight vs. the Wild. He has not played since December 21st, but he has to be getting close.
With Pekka Rinne out for at least the next three games, Mazanec has been recalled to serve as the Predaotrs second goalie. The 23-year-old net minder has gone 11-8-3 with a 2.49 GAA and .907 SV% with Milwaukee this season.
The 24-year-old Lee has posted a 1-3-1 record with a 2.98 goals against average (GAA) and an .897 save percentage (SV%) in five games with the Gladiators this season. Lee will serve as Mike Smith's backup tonight vs. the Flames.
Lindback stopped 34 of 36 shots that he faced after replacing Kari Lehtonen in the Stars come-from-behind win over the Senators on Tuesday. It was Lindback’s best performance of the season, which looks like it earned him the start tonight vs. the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Lindback has gone 1-3-0 with a 3.84 GAA and .871 SV% at home this year.
Smith gave up five goals on 33 shots in the Coyotes 5-1 loss to Ottawa on Saturday. Arizona traded Devan Dubnyk on Wednesday which makes them fully committed to Smith turning things around. After 26 starts and one relief appearance, he is 7-17-2 with a 3.53 GAA and .885 SV%. Tonight he will make his third start vs. the Flames—he is 0-2-0 with a 4.57 GAA and .813 SV% in the first two.
Mrazek stopped 25 of 26 shots in the Red Wings 3-1 win over the Sabres on Tuesday. The win moved him to 6-3-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .920 SV% on the season. Tonight he will make his third career start (fourth appearance) vs. the Blues—He is 2-0-0 with a 0.80 GAA, .969 SV% and one shutout in their previous encounters.
During the third period of the Nashville Predators 5-1 victory on Tuesday night, goaltender Rinne sustained a sprained knee which will cause him to miss the next three games and All-Star Weekend, the club announced Thursday. Rinne’s status will be re-evaluated and updated after the NHL All-Star Break. Carter Hutton becomes the Predators temporary starter.
Rask allowed three goals on 19 shots in the Bruins 4-3 win over the Lightning on Tuesday. He followed up his three-game losing streak with a three-game winning streak while allowing six goals on 82 shots (.928 SV%). He will start vs. the Rangers at TD Garden, where he is 13-4-4- with a 2.26 GAA and .917 SV% this season.
Bishop surrendered four goals on 34 shots in the Lightning’s loss to the Bruins on Tuesday night. His last two nights have been rough, but he should have no trouble getting back on track tonight with the Oilers in town. Bishop is 21-7-2, despite posting an average 2.41 GAA and .909 SV% this season.
Hedman is not on the ice for the Lightning’s morning skate, so expect him to miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury.
It is a good sign that Johnson is on the ice for the morning skate, but the no contact sweater suggests that he will not be in the lineup tonight vs. Edmonton.
Emery allowed three goals on 13 shots after replacing Steve Mason in last Saturday’s loss to the Bruins. He was Rob Zepp’s backup for the last two games, but he is expected to start tonight in the second game of a back-to-back. He is 7-7-1 with a 3.21 GAA and .889 SV% in 13 starts this season.
