Talbot will start Thursday's game against the Panthers. Talbot has enjoyed a terrific start to the season but is coming off one of his worst starts of the season, allowing four goals on 26 shots in a loss to the Flyers last Saturday. Despite being 7-3-0 on the year, Talbot is 0-3-0 with a 3.73 GAA and .872 SV% on home ice this season. He draws a tough home matchup against the Panthers on Thursday with the Kings only being slight favourites at -130. Source: Zach Dooley
Elvis Merzlikins will start Thursday vs. Arizona. Merzlikins will look for his first victory in five contests when he suits up as the starting goalie against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Despite the Blue Jackets inability to provide ample goal support, Merzlikins has played fairly well of late, saving 132 of the last 146 shots he has faced (.904 SV%) in his last five games (1-2-1). The Blue Jackets are +109 home underdogs and will have their work cut out for them against a Coyotes team that has scored three or more goals in nine of their last 10 games (4-4-2).Source: Jeff Svoboda
Jacob Markstrom will start Thursday vs. Vancouver. Markstrom was brilliant after returning from a two-game absence due to an upper-body injury, saving 34 of 35 shots (.971 SV%) in a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Markstrom has won consecutive starts for the first time this season and will hope to keep his hot streak rolling after having lost his seven previous outings (0-6-1), posting a .892 SV%. The Flames are -137 home favourites on Thursday and will try to take advantage of a Vancouver Canucks team that, albeit has won seven of their last eight (7-1-0), played an extra frame last night in a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders.Source: Pat Steinberg
Tristan Jarry will start Thursday vs. New Jersey.Jarry will start for the Penguins on Thursday as the team looks to extend their season-best five-game winning streak. After a poor five-game stretch (1-4-0), allowing 15 goals on 115 shots (.870 SV%), Jarry has been nearly impenetrable, saving 106 of 111 shots (.955 SV%) in four games since (4-0-0). The Penguins are -132 home favourites against a New Jersey Devils team that has struggled with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out of the lineup, losing four of five (1-4-0), averaging only 2.60 goals per game.Source: Andrew Destin
Hill will start Thursday's game in Montreal. Hill is coming off a 20-save shutout, his second of the season, in a 5-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on November 10th. The Western Conference-leading Golden Knights have faltered a little, losing three of their last four, but will look to get back into the win column on Thursday as -192 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that has been outscored 7-3 in their last two contests (0-2-0). The 27-year-old Hill has been nothing short of spectacular this season, posting a remarkable 1.75 GAA and .939 SV% through nine contests (7-1-1).Source: @SinBinVegas
Cayden Primeau will start Thursday vs. Vegas. Primaeu will start his second game of the season when the Canadiens take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. On November 9th against the Detroit Red Wings, Primeau put together a terrific effort for his first victory, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%). Despite being serviceable in limited action this season, optimism is low for Primeau and the Canadiens on Thursday as they are +172 home underdogs against the defending Stanely Cup Champion Golden Knights. That said, Vegas has lost three of their last four games (1-3-0), held to two goals or fewer in three of them.Source: Priyanta Emrith
Johansson will start in Chicago on Thursday. As the Tampa Bay Lightning eagerly await the return of their All-Star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Johansson will attempt to stop the bleeding on a miserable stretch for the team. Johansson has played very poorly in his last four outings (0-3-1), registering an ugly .846 SV% in the process. In addition to receiving less-than-ideal goaltending, the Lightning have been shut out in back-to-back games. That said, the Lightning are still -179 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team that defeated them 5-3 exactly one week ago.Source: Eduardo Encina
Petr Mrazek will start Thursday vs. Tampa Bay. Mrazek will look for his third consecutive victory on Thursday as the starting goalie against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blackhawks rank in the bottom third of the league defensively, allowing an average of 3.46 goals per game. That said, Mrazek has quietly put together an impressive 2023-24 campaign thus far, boasting a 2.84 GAA and .921 SV% through eight contests (4-3-0). The Blackhawks are +160 home underdogs but have an intriguing matchup against the Lightning, who have been shut out in back-to-back games, and lost three straight contests (0-3-0), including a 5-3 loss at the hands of Mrazek and the Blackhawks.Source: Greg Boysen
Varlamov will start in Seattle on Thursday. Varlamov will start on Thursday and attempt to help the Islanders snap their six-game losing streak (0-4-2). The Islanders have not won since November 2nd when Varlamov was forced to be perfect, pitching a 32-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals. Despite a tremendous 2.04 GAA and .940 SV% through six games (2-3-0), Varlamov has struggled in his last two games (0-2-0), allowing seven goals on 58 shots (.879 SV%). Last season, the Islanders ranked fifth in the league defensively (2.65 GA / GP), a far cry from their mid-pack ranking this season (3.20 GA / GP). That said, as slight +100 road underdogs, the Islanders will hope to get things back on track, taking on the fourth-lowest scoring team in the league, the Seatle Kraken (2.53 GF / GP).Source: Ethan Sears
Grubauer will start against the Islanders on Thursday. Grubauer will return to the Kraken crease on Thursday after Seattle turned to Joey Daccord for each of the team's last two games. Grubauer's last start came via a 4-1 defeat to the Oilers on Saturday, when he surrendered four goals on just 17 shots before being lifted from the game in favour of Daccord. His record on the season now sits at 3-6-0 to go along with his .891 SV% and 3.31 GAA. He'll hope to get things back on track in a decent home matchup against the Islanders in a pick 'em game on Thursday. Source: Ethan Sears
Joel Hofer will start Thursday in San Jose. Hofer will be the starter on Thursday for a red-hot Blues team that has won five of their last six games (5-1-0), outscoring their opposition 26-12. In limited action this season, Hofer has been excellent when called upon, saving 76 of 80 shots faced (.950 SV%) over his last three contests (3-0-0). The Blues will look to continue their winning ways, as they are sizeable -215 road favourites against the league's worst team, the San Jose Sharks, who are averaging a nearly non-existent 1.31 goals per game.Source: St. Louis Blues
Vanecek will start in Pittsburgh on Thursday. Vanecek received the night off on Tuesday but will return to the starter's crease on Thursday against the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins. Vanecek and the Devils have been shadows of themselves, with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out of the lineup tending to injuries. The Devils have lost four of their last five (1-4-0), scoring more than three goals only once in that span. In addition, Vanecek hasn't been able to shut the door consistently, highlighted by his two most recent performances (0-2-0), allowing seven goals on a combined 36 shots (.806 SV%). Making things worse, the Devils are +127 road underdogs against a Penguins team that has outscored their opposition 25-8 during a five-game winning streak.Source: Sam Kasan
Sergei Bobrovsky will start Thursday in Los Angeles. Bobrovsky had the night off on Tuesday but will return to the crease on Thursday when the Panthers visit the Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers are in the midst of the best stretch of the season (6-1-0), highlighted by Bobrovsky's five-game winning streak, in which he has saved 117 of 129 shots (.907 SV%), including a shutout. Despite their strong play, the Panthers are still +111 road underdogs against a very strong Kings team that ranks second in the league offensively (4.00 GF / GP).Source: Doug Plagens