Grigorenko, 20, has recorded seven goals and 12 assists (19 points) in 27 games with Rochester this season. He has struggled to find his way in his first two attempts to stick with the Sabres, recording just eight points (3G / 5A) in 43 games. The 2012 first rounder (12th overall) will look to impress during his recall so he doesn’t go back to the minors.
Ben Bishop suffered a lower-body injury in Monday’s loss to the Penguins, so Vasilevskiy, 20, has been recalled and is expected to back-up Evgeni Nabokov tonight. Vasilevskiy was the 19th overall pick in 2012 and he has gone 8-3-3 with a 2.34 GAA and .918 SV% with Syracuse—this is his first season in North America.
Nabokov allowed three goals 21 shots in relief of Ben Bishop, who was injured in the first period last night’s game. Nabby is expected to start tonight with Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to be his backup. Nabokov has a 2.99 GAA and .893 SV% in eight games this season. He will take on a Flyers team who are finally getting it together;having won three of their last four.
Bishop finished the first period, but told coach Cooper that he could not go back in for the second. Bishop stopped four of five shots in the first, before being replaced by Evgeni Nabokov for the second. The Lightning are back in action tonight, so it is unlikely that Bishop will be ready to go, so look for Nabokov to start in goal.
Gorges took part in the Sabres' morning skate and said that he would give it a go tonight. Gorges is not on the ice for warmups, so he will not play vs. the Senators. He will be replaced by Tyson Strachan.
Lecavalier has not been in the lineup in two weeks. He last suited up on November 29th vs. the Rangers and will be a scratch for the seventh consecutive game tomorrow. "It's not just because it's Tampa," Lecavalier said after Monday's practice. "I just want to play. I said pretty much everything last week. There's nothing to say. Practice hard and be ready mentally if I get a chance to play."
Gibson was with the team today, but did not practice with them. He went onto the ice after and took shots for the first time since suffering the groin injury. He is still a ways away from being ready, but with the addition of Ilya Bryzgalov, he is expected to go to the AHL anyways.
Fleury stopped 26 of 27 shots in the Penguins win over the Flames on Friday. He was given Saturday night off, but will be back in goal tonight vs. the Lightning. It is a meeting between the second and third best offences in the league, so this one could be a high-scoring affair.
Trouba missed practice on Monday, but is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow. The Jets already have a ton of holes on the blue line because of injuries, so missing Trouba would be a huge loss. He has two goals and six assists in his last nine games.
DeKeyser has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury that he suffered last Wednesday. With DeKeyser expected to be back in, either Brian Lashoff or Xavier Ouellet will come out of the lineup. DeKeyser has 11 points (1G / 10A) in 29 games this season.
Abdelkader has missed the last seven games, but head coach Mike Babcock expects to have Abby back in the lineup tomorrow against Columbus. Abdelkader has 15 points (7G / 8A) and a plus-6 rating in 24 games this season.
LaBarbera’s run with the Ducks is over now that Ilya Bryzgalov is ready to resume his NHL career. The only way LaBarbera will be back is if either Bryz or Frederik Andersen gets injured and the Ducks elect to recall LaBarbera instead of John Gibson (when healthy).
Tyutin was a full participant in the Blue Jackets’ practice on Monday and could be back on the blue line tomorrow vs. the Red Wings. Tyutin has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since November 14th. If Tyutin returns, expect Kevin Connauton to take a seat.
Semin will miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. The Hurricanes have recalled Justin Shugg and he will serve as their 12th forward on Tuesday.
Tlusty will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. Consider him day-to-day.
Krejci has not played since November 18th, but coach Julien is hopeful that Krejci will be able to play on the road trip. They face the Predators tomorrow, so monitor his status during the Bruins morning skate.
Cooke has been sidelined with a hip injury since October 28th. Returning to practice on Monday is a positive step in Cooke’s return to the lineup. Expect him to practice for a few days at least, before he is cleared to play. Cooke had two goals and four assists in eight games before getting hurt.
Spurgeon missed Saturday’s game with an illness and his absence at practice this morning puts his status for Tuesday’s game in jeopardy. Monitor his status during tomorrow’s morning skate.
Gudas, who missed Saturday’s game, will miss a second straight game with a stomach virus. The Lightning hope to have Gudas back in the lineup on Tuesday vs. the Flyers.
Michalek has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but he will be back in tonight vs. the Sabres. Michalek will skate on the third line with David Legwand and Colin Greening. He has eight points (2G / 6A) in 25 games.
