Bernier allowed four goals on 32 shots in the Leafs 4-3 loss to the Habs in the season opener. The Penguins lit the Ducks up on Thursday, so this is not a pretty matchup for Bernier. Expect James Reimer to get the call on Sunday vs. the Rangers.
Leaving the ice first while the other netminder stays on for extra work is typically an indicator of the next day's starter. Niemi is coming off of a shutout on opening night vs. Los Angeles, but it looks like the Sharks want to get Stalock some work early on. Keep an eye on the Sharks morning skate when the starting picture will become more clear.
Varlamov was yanked after 40 minutes after allowing five goals on 38 shots in Colorado's 5-0 loss to the Wild on Thursday. It was not entirely Varlamov's fault, the Avs simply were not ready for the Wild who came out flying. Minny set a franchise record with 48 shots on the night, don't expect that to happen again, look for Varly to bounce-back on home ice.
Pavelec was able to coast to a win on Thursday after the Jets burst out to a 4-1 lead just 14:11 into the first period. Pavelec turned aside 26 of 28 shots in the Jets' 6-2 win over Arizona. On Saturday he will have a much tougher test when he takes on a Sharks team who blanked the defending Cup Champs on opening night.
Miller had a nice Canucks debut, stopping 23 of 25 shots in the 4-2 win over the Flames. With the jitters of game 1 behind him, look for another strong outing by Miller as he faces an Oilers team who lost to the Flames a night after the Canucks beat Calgary.
Crawford was excellent in the Blackhawks 3-2 shootout win over the Stars on Thursday. He stopped 32 of 34 shots in regulation and OT and all three shootout attempts to preserve the victory. On Saturday he will get the nod against the Sabres--which makes him an absolute must-start.
Kane was injured in his third shift on Thursday night after a collision with linemate Mark Scheifele. Kane underwent an MRI today, but there is no report as to exactly how long he will be out. The fact that they are only ruling him out for two games is an encouraging sign that the injury is not crazy serious, but expect the Jets to release a timetable over the weekend--they likely need to see how his knee responds, before they have a true idea of the severity.
Murray still remains without a target date for his return, but says he feels like he is getting closer and closer with each passing day. Murray is a dynamic offensive talent on the blueline and will bolster a Blue Jackets powerplay that went 1/4 on Thursday.
The Flyers defenseman was spotted on crutches yesterday after he was ruled out of Thursday's game and the Flyers feared the worst. “We’ve actually gotten better news than we had yesterday, but until Monday we won’t be able to be definitive,” the Flyers general manager said, adding that Coburn still had to see a specialist. For now, consider Coburn day-to-day.
Karlsson was the Ducks second round pick (53rd overall) in 2011.The 21-year-old skated on the Ducks third line between Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano today and could replace Rickard Rakell in the lineup on Saturday. Karlsson had 15 goals and 22 assists (37 points) in 55 games in Sweden last season and nine points (2G / 7A) in nine games in the AHL after coming to North America.
According to head coach Alain Vigneault, Glass "is a little tight" so a decision on his status will not be made until tomorrow. If he is unable to play, expect Kevin Hayes to make his Rangers and NHL debut.
Tanev suffered an injury in Wednesday's season opener that forced him to miss practice on Thursday, but he was back on the ice Friday and could be in the lineup when they take on the Oilers. Tanev will be evaluated tomorrow and then a decision will be made.
Berglund was feeling the effects of a slash he received on Thursday night, but will be in the lineup on Saturday when the Blues take on the Flames. Berglund had one shot and was a minus-1 in 16:41 yesterday.
Rozsival missed Thursday's season opener with an upper-body injury and will miss a second straight game tomorrow. Rookie Trevor van Riemsdyk made his NHL debut with Rozsival out, so expect him to stay in the lineup on Saturday.
The Senators are coming off of a 3-2 loss to the Predators on opening night and will turn to Lehner to get them into the win column on Saturday vs. Tampa Bay. Lehner was 12-15 -6 with a 3.06 GAA and .913 SV% a season ago and was the victim of limited goal support all season long. Expect reasonable numbers but a low win total on a mediocre Sens team.
Lewis missed Friday's practice with an upper-body injury and will not play on Saturday and is questionable for Sunday's game against Winnipeg. With Lewis out, expect Jordan Nolan to enter the lineup.
Muzzin missed the season opener with what Darryl Sutter called a "frustrating injury". It was announced on Thursday that Muzzin would likely miss a few games, so consider him day-to-day.
Elliott gave up three goals on 25 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers in Thursday's season opener. Despite the loss, the Blues will turn to Elliott again on Saturday when they take on the Flames. He gets a much easier matchup in his second outing of the year and should make for a great fantasy start on a busy Saturday.
Lundqvist started his season off with a win, stopping 23 of 25 shots in a 3-2 victory over the Blues. It was an even game, but King Henrik outduelled Brain Elliott to earn his first W of the year. On Sunday he will get the call for the Rangers' home opener as they welcome the Maple Leafs to town. He was 16-14-4 with a 2.13 GAA and .926 SV% at home a season ago.
In his rookie season Talbot went 12-6-1 with a 1.64 GAA and .941 SV%, making himself one of fantasy's best spot-start options every time he got the nod. On Saturday he will start his sophomore season against a depleted Blue Jackets squad who are coming off of a win Thursday. This early in the season you likely are not looking for a spot-start, but if you are, Talbot would not be a bad one.
