Brassard has missed the last two games with mumps, but he will be back on the ice tomorrow. Depending on how he feels will determine whether he will play in the Rangers’ home-and-home vs. Carolina on Saturday and Sunday.
The Jets are without four of their regular six defensemen so getting Enstrom back is a huge for the team. It is a positive sign that Enstrom is on track and has not suffered a setback.
Stuart was injured in a fight at the end of Sabres game on Tuesday. The Jets blue line takes another huge blow. They are now without Stuart, Zach Bogosian, Jacob Trouba and Tobias Enstrom for at least the rest of December and early January.
Earlier in the week Bishop was hopeful that he would be able to skate today and return to the crease this weekend. He said that he might skate tomorrow, but the chances of him playing on Friday and Saturday appears slim.
Teammate Radko Gudas missed three games with an illness, so there is a chance that Johnson may have caught that bug. His status for Friday’s game is unknown. Monitor Johnson’s status during tomorrow’s morning skate.
Palat said that he had his “best day yet” on Thursday. He has missed the last four games, but could be back in tomorrow. He skated on the second line with Valtteri Filppula and Nikita Kucherov today, because Tyler Johnson missed practice with an illness.
Gudas has missed the last three games with a stomach virus, but should be back in the lineup tomorrow vs. the Devils. With Gudas coming back in, expect Mark Barberio to take a seat. Gudas has two goals and three assists in 26 games this season.
Gorges has missed the last two games with a finger injury that he suffered on December 13th vs. the Panthers. The Sabres have given up five goals in two games without Gorges in the lineup. Gorges has four assists and a minus-7 rating in 23 games.
The Ducks first game after the Christmas break is on December 27th vs. the Coyotes. Palmieri remains with the team on their road-trip and will undergo tests when they return to Anaheim.
Price stopped 25 of 26 shots in the Canadiens 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. After losing three in a row, Price has now won three in a row with a 1.33 GAA and ..955 SV%. Tonight he will face a Ducks team who saw their seven-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday in Toronto.
Anderson stopped all 34 shots in the Senators’ 2-0 shutout win over the Devils on Wednesday. It was Anderson’s seventh win and third shutout of the season. He had been going through a rough patch, so Wednesday’s shutout should boost his confidence. Tonight he takes on a great Ducks team at home, where he is 4-2-2 with a 2.21 GAA and .933 SV%.
Franzen missed Tuesday’s game with the flu. He was tested for mumps and various other illnesses, but he was just dealing with a stomach flu. He will be reunited with Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco on the third line.
Kozun played in just one contest after returning from a high ankle sprain. He will head to the AHL where he has one goal on three games with the Marlies.
Since being recalled from his conditioning stint, Heatley has yet to get into the lineup. He will serve as a healthy scratch for a second straight game. With Kyle Palmieri out, there was a roster spot open, but it will be Emerson Etem who fills that.
Beauchemin said on Wednesday that he was not likely to play today and coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed that this afternoon. He is day-to-day, but there is also no guarantee that he will be back in the lineup tomorrow in Ottawa.
Andersen was yanked after he allowed four goals on 20 shots in the Ducks loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The loss snapped a seven game winning streak for Andersen. Seven in a row sounds good, but Andersen has a 2.67 GAA and .903 SV% over the eight game span—showing the Ducks are really winning in spite of Andersen, not because of him.
Howard turned aside all 29 shots that he faced in Tuesday’s 1-0 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets. Despite the loss, Howie was credited with his second shutout of the season. Despite losing three in a row, Howard has been great as of late. He has posted a 2-1-3 record with a 1.78 GAA and .930 SV% in December.
Severson was injured while blocking a shot on December 6th vs. Washington. He played five games on it before it swelled up on Wednesday. His fractured ankle will not require surgery, but you won’t see him back in the lineup until mid-to-late January. Expect Eric Gelinas to return as a full-timer on the blue line.
Holtby allowed one goal on 29 shots and stopped 14 of 20 shootout attempts in the Capitals marathon shootout loss to the Panthers on Tuesday. He given five chances to end the game, but couldn’t come up with a clutch save. Despite the loss, Holtby is 4-0-2 with a 1.79 GAA and .939 SV% in his last six starts.
Bobrovsky stopped all 30 shots and two out of three shootout attempts in Tuesday’s 1-0 shootout win over the Red Wings. It was Bob’s first shutout of the season and his seventh straight victory. He has posted a ridiculous 1.63 GAA and .950 SV% over the seven-game span and he will look to stay hot tonight vs. the Capitals. He made 39 saves in a 3-2 OT win in Washington last Thursday.
