Ward allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Hurricanes 3-2 loss to the Predators on Tuesday. Despite posting a 2.10 GAA and .925 SV%, Ward is 3-8-1 in his last 12 starts. He draws a great matchup tonight at home vs. the Sabres--Ward is 7-5-2 with a 1.92 GAA and .927 SV% at home this year.
Despite leaving practice early on Wednesday, it looks like Mason will start vs. the Capitals. He is coming off of a 41-save performance in the Flyers 2-1 shootout win over the Senators on Tuesday. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and was his first since December 13th. Looks like he will start at home vs. Washington—he is 6-4-2 with a 2.22 GAA and .927 SV% at Walls Fargo Center.
Darcy Kuemper is out for “a little bit” with a minor injury, so Curry will be recalled to backup Niklas Backstrom tonight.
Koivu left practice early on Wednesday with a “minor injury” but it will not keep him out of tonight’s game vs. Chicago. He has one goal and three assists in his last four games.
Kuemper left Wednesday’s practice early. He visited with doctors yesterday and they discovered something that will keep him out “a little bit.” With Kuemper out, Niklas Backstrom will start tonight.
Backstrom allowed three goals on 14 shots after replacing Darcy Kuemper in the Wild’s 7-1 blowout loss to the Stars last Saturday. Backstrom has not won a game since December 13th—he has posted a 4.06 GAA and .879 SV% in three and a half games in that span.
Farnham played in 10 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording 19 penalty minutes. He has four points (1G / 3A) and 113 penalty minutes in 23 AHL contests with WBS.
Varlamov stopped all 54 shots that he faced in the Avs’ 2-0 shutout win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. It was a ridiculous performance from Varly,who has been exceptional since returning to the crease. He has won four of six starts with a 1.79 GAA and .942 SV%. Tonight he faces a Sens team who have lost five of seven.
Tuukka Rask faced 39 shots last night and just made back-to-back starts on Saturday and Sunday, so we are going to venture a guess and say it will be Niklas Svedberg vs. the Devils, but that is merely a guess.
Hudler missed Wednesday’s game to be with his wife for the birth of their child. With Hudler out, Joe Colborne played with Josh Jooris and Johnny Gaudreau, but Hudler should be back in that spot tomorrow vs. the Panthers.
Franzen was a late scratch in the Red Wings win over the Flames last night. The Red Wings returned to Detroit late last night, so Franzen should undergo some tests today and a more detailed injury report should be released before they take-off for Washington in advance of Saturday’s game.
Anderson stopped 33 of 34 shots in the Senators shootout loss to the Flyers on Tuesday. Tonight he will make his sixth start in the last seven games—he is 2-1-2 with a 1.95 GAA and .925 SV% in the previous five. He made 28 saves in a 5-3 win vs. his former team from Colorado back in October.
Talbot stopped all 18 shots that he faced in the Rangers 1-0 win over the Hurricanes on December 21st. Talbot has been great this year, but has been limited to seven starts (3-3-1 / 2.02 GAA / 928 SV%) because of Henrik Lundqvist’s strong season. He has been much better at home than on the road—he comes in at 1-3-0 with a 3.06 GAA and .895 SV% away from Madison Square Garden.
Martin was listed as a game-time decision, but is on the ice so it looks like he will play. Martin has missed the last eight games, but should be in and paired with Kris Letang tonight vs.the Bruins. He has seven points (1G / 6A) in 31 games.
Rask stopped 35 of 36 shots in the Bruins 2-1 shootout loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday. Rask has lost three in a row despite posting a 2.20 GAA and .916 SV%. There is a good chance that that losing streak is extended tonight with the Bruins in Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
Mason left practice on Wednesday and underwent an MRI on Wednesday night, but the team announced that he will take part in the morning skate tomorrow. The MRI must not have revealed anything major which is great news for Mason owners and the Flyers.
Niskanen was listed as a game-time decision after suffering a lower-body injury on Sunday. He is skating with his regular D-partner Karl Alzner so expect him to play.
Kadri was listed as a game-time decision, but he is on the ice for warmups, so it looks like he will play. He has missed the last two games, but should return tonight on the top line with Phil Kessel and Daniel Winnik in the first game under new head coach Peter Horachek.
Sanguinetti did not get into a game with the Canucks during his recall.
Corrado, 21, has played 21 games with the Utica Comets in this season, collecting eight points (4G / 4A) and 17 penalty minutes with plus-3 rating. In his career, Corrado has played 18 NHL games and collected one goal.
