NHL Hockey Player News

Dahlbeck played on Saturday as the Hurricanes wanted to get some fresh bodies in on the second game of a back-to-back, so Haydn Fleury draws back in for Dahlbeck this afternoon.

Fleury came out of the Hurricanes lineup on Saturday but will draw back in this afternoon in Toronto. Fleury, who will play with Justin Faulk, has just four assists in 29 games this season.

Andersen gave up two goals on 26 shots in the Maple Leafs loss in Minnesota last Thursday. Curtis McElhinney spelled him in Detroit on Friday, so Andersen will likely start this afternoon vs. the Hurricanes. Andersen is 2-3-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .937 SV% in his last five starts and is 1-1-0 with a 5.00 GAA and .882 SV% in two starts vs. Carolina this season.

Darling stopped all 35 shots that he faced in the Hurricanes win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Darling, who will face the Maple Leafs for the third time this season—he is 1-1-0 with a 3.09 GAA and .907 SV% in the first two meetings.

Hellebuyck stopped all 24 shots that he faced in the Jets shutout win over the Blues on Sunday. December has been a bit of a rollercoaster for the 24-year-old, who has gone 4-2-1 with a 2.71 GAA and .901 SV% in seven starts this month. This will be his second start vs. the Predators this season—he gave up five goals on 29 shots in a 5-3 loss in late-November.

Stalock allowed three goals on 45 shots in the Wild’s loss in Chicago on Sunday. Since taking over for Devan Dubnyk in the second period on December 10th, Stalock has gone 3-2-0 with a 2.10 GAA, .935 SV% and one shutout. Tonight he faces a Senators team that is turning a corner after winning two straight.

Dubnyk will miss his fourth straight game on Tuesday but will likely be on the ice on Thursday, which suggests he could start one of their back-to-back games on Friday/Saturday.

Howard stopped 25 of 26 shots in the Red Wings win over the Maple Leafs last Friday. The win snapped a three-game losing skid for Howard, who is 2-1-2 with 2.34 GAA and .911 SV% in his last five starts. After a lengthy home stand, the Red Wings head out on the road tonight, where Howie has gone 4-3-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .921 SV% this season.

Slepyshev comes up to take Nathan Walker’s spot on the roster and returns with one goal and two assists (three points) in 15 games with the Oilers this season.

Klefbom has apparently been playing a little banged up and with Andrej Sekera’s return on the horizon, Klefbom will get a chance to take some time off. His move to IR means he will miss at least the next two games as the Oilers head into the Christmas break.

Holtby allowed two goals on 30 shots in the Capitals win over the Ducks on Saturday. Holtby has won three in a row and six of his last seven games while posting a 2.67 GAA and .917 SV%. The 28-year-old has won seven of his 10 road starts this season despite posting a 3.68 GAA and .890 SV%.

Rinne stopped all 32 shots that he faced in the Predators shutout win in Calgary on Saturday. Rinne has been excellent this season and comes in having won four of his last five starts while allowing just nine goals on 172 shots (.948 SV%). Tonight he faces the Jets on home-ice, where he has gone 11-1-2 with a 2.58 GAA and .918 SV% this season.

Merkley, who was the No.30 overall pick in 2015, has collected 12 goals and 12 assists (24 points) in his first 20 career AHL games with Tucson. There’s no word who Merkley will replace in the lineup or who he will skate with.

Raanta allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Coyotes loss to the Penguins on Saturday. Since returning to the Coyotes crease, Raanta has gone 0-3-0 with a 2.69 GAA and .930 SV% in three starts. Tonight he will face the visiting Panthers at Gila River Arena, where he is 1-4-1 with a 2.72 GAA and .921 SV%.

Darling stopped all 35 shots that he faced in the Hurricanes win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Darling, who will face the Maple Leafs for the third time this season—he is 1-1-0 with a 3.09 GAA and .907 SV% in the first two meetings.

Elliott gave up four goals on 25 shots in the Flyers loss to the Kings on Monday. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Elliott, who will start his eighth consecutive game tonight vs. the Red Wings. The 32-year-old has gone 6-4-3 with a 2.67 GAA and .904 SV% at the Wells Fargo Center this season.

Matthews skated again on Tuesday but will not be in the lineup this afternoon. Matthews will miss his fifth straight game and there is no firm timetable for his return. This likely means he will miss Tuesday’s game in Columbus as well.

Andersen gave up two goals on 26 shots in the Maple Leafs loss in Minnesota last Thursday. Curtis McElhinney spelled him in Detroit on Friday, so Andersen will likely start this afternoon vs. the Hurricanes. Andersen is 2-3-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .937 SV% in his last five starts and is 1-1-0 with a 5.00 GAA and .882 SV% in two starts vs. Carolina this season.

Rinne stopped all 32 shots that he faced in the Predators shutout win in Calgary on Saturday. Rinne has been excellent this season and comes in having won four of his last five starts while allowing just nine goals on 172 shots (.948 SV%). Tonight he faces the Jets on home-ice, where he has gone 11-1-2 with a 2.58 GAA and .918 SV% this season.

Gudbranson has missed the last 12 games with an upper-body injury but it looks like he will return tonight vs. the Canadiens. This is a boost to the Canucks blueline, but the veteran defenseman has yet to record a point in 21 games this season.