With Boone Jenner out with a stress fracture in his back, Morin will move up to play the wing on the top-line with Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. Morin should be amped up to play tonight with the Blackhawks in town, just a week after they traded him. He has one assist, a plus-1 rating and five shots in a two games with Columbus.
Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 36 shots in the Blue Jackets OT loss to the Capitals on Thursday. The loss snapped his seven game winning streak. He will look to get back in the win column tonight, but it won’t be easy with the Blackhawks in town. Chicago comes into town having won 10 of their last 11 contests.
Ward allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Hurricanes win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Ward. Tonight he gets the call at home vs. the Rangers. Ward has been great at PNC Arena this season—going 6-4-1 with a 1.99 GAA and .926 SV%.
Bernier allowed three goals on 36 shots in the Maple Leafs loss to the Hurricanes on Thursday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Bernier and moved him 13-7-3 on the year. He enters play tonight with a 5-2-0 record, 2.45 GAA and .932 SV% in the month of December.
Kunitz has been skating for several days now, but has yet to return the the lineup. They could use him back with all the injuries the Pens are battling through. Monitor his status following the morning skate.
Pacioretty’s injury is minor and he had to go to the hospital for precautionary measures, but his availability for the morning skate suggests that he could be in the lineup tonight vs. Ottawa. Monitor his status following the skate.
Price allowed two goals on 23 shots in the loss to Anaheim on Thursday. With Dustin Tokarski back in Hamilton, Price is expected to start every game before the Christmas break. Tonight he will take on the Senators for the first time this season. He enters play at 4-4-0 with a 2.28 GAA and .925 SV% in the month of December.
Chorney, 27, has six points (2G / 4A) in 25 games with WBS this season. He has one goals and six assists in 61 career NHL games. With Christian Ehrhoff’s status still uncertain and Olli Maatta out with mumps, the Penguins recalled Chorney and 20-year-old Derrick Pouliot.
Pouliot, 20, was the Penguins first round pick (8th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. The young blue liner has 20 points (7G / 13A) in 23 games in his first season with WBS. Christian Ehrhoff was injured on Thursday, so Pouliot could make his NHL debut tonight.
Grigorenko was a minus-1 with one shot in 16:42 in his season debut on Tuesday. With three days in between games, the Sabres had the luxury of sending Grigorenko back to the AHL before recalling him for tonight’s game. Expect him to centre the third line like he did on Tuesday.
Collins, 25, appeared in two games with Columbus earlier this season and has collected 19 points (10G / 9A) and 14 penalty minutes with a plus-2 rating in 27 games with Springfield.
The injury woes continue in Columbus. Jenner, who missed the start of the season with a broken had, has scored six goals with six assists (12 points) in 20 games before getting injured. He has been placed on IR and will be out until at least late-January. The Blue Jackets recalled Sean Collins from Springfield (AHL).
Ouellet, 21, played well in four games during his recall. He failed to record a point, but had an even plus/minus rating while averaging over 18 minutes per game. He had to be sent down in order for the Red Wings to recall Thomas McCollum.
McColllum, 25, has gone 5-8-3 with a 2.57 GAA and .903 SV% with Grand Rapids this season. He has been recalled to serve as backup to Petr Mrazek while Jimmy Howard recovers from a lower-body injury.
Howard stopped eight of nine shots before leaving Friday’s game with a lower-body injury; he did not return. Petr Mrazek finished the game and becomes the Red Wings starter for the time being. Thomas McCollum has been recalled to serve as Mrazek’s backup. Howie’s injury does not sound serious, so expect him back by the end of the Holliday break at the latest.
Goloubef, 24, recorded two penalty minutes in three games with the Blue Jackets before suffering a knee injury on November 1 at New Jersey. He has an even plus/minus rating in three games with Springfield since being loaned to the Falcons on a conditioning assignment on December 10.
Wennberg, 20, recorded his first NHL point (assist) in his NHL debut on October 9 at Buffalo, and has notched three assists and eight penalty minutes in 21 games with the Blue Jackets this season
The Blue Jackets placed Gibbons on IR on Friday in order to make room to recall Alexander Wennberg, who will replace Gibbons over the next two-to-three weeks.
Because of the Holliday roster freeze, the Blues had to make room for Carl Gunnarsson if/when he is ready to return. The Blues were impressed by Lindbohm during his recall and expect to see him back with the team soon.
Pickard stoop 47 of 48 shots in the Avs’ 1-0 OT loss to the Penguins on Thursday. Once again, Pickard was sensational, but did not walk away with the W. Since being recalled this time around, he is 1-1-2 with a 1.94 GAA and .949 SV%. Tonight he should make for a great start in Buffalo—he has posted a .941 SV% in four road games.
