Elvis Merzlikins (illness) has been activated off the Injured Reserve and will start Thursday in Toronto. Merzlikins has not played since December 5th, when he was placed on injured reserve with an illness but participated in morning skate on Thursday and will start for the Blue Jackets after being activated from IR. Before being placed on IR, Merzlikins was playing his best hockey of the season, posting a .930 SV% during a 3-2-1 stretch. The Blue Jackets are sizeable +211 road underdogs against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have collected at least a point in seven straight contests (5-0-2).Source: Brian Hedger
Lindgren will start in Philadelphia on Thursday. Lindgren will start for the third time in the last four games for the Capitals and will look to build off his most recent performance, a 31-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the New York Rangers, his second shutout in as many weeks. Lindgren has been a cornerstone and predominant reason why the Capitals are in playoff contention this season, boasting a tremendous 6-1-1 record and .936 SV% in his last nine appearances. The Capitals are slight +116 road underdogs against an equally surprising team, the Philadelphia Flyers, who have collected a point in six straight games (4-0-2).Source: @Capitals
Samuel Ersson will start Thursday vs. Washington. Ersson draws his second-straight start for the first time this season after Carter Hart (illness) was announced out Thursday. The 24-year-old Flyers backup has fought the puck most nights when between the crease this season, with his 5-3-2 record, 2.80 GAA and .883 SV%. He will host the Washington Capitals Thursday, who have won their last two games but are struggling offensively as they are 29th in the NHL in shots per game (27.9) and 30th in goals (2.48). Source: Jordan Hall
Kochetkov will start in Detroit on Thursday. Kochetkov is coming off one of his best starts of the season and will be rewarded with the nod for the second consecutive game on Thursday. The 24-year-old netminder stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Senators, which included a flying poke check to thwart Brady Tkachuk's penalty shot. The outing helped Kochetkov raise his meager SV% to .883 on the season. He's in a great spot to keep things rolling on Thursday with the Hurricanes being -170 favourites in Detroit. Source: Walt Ruff
Ville Husso will start Thursday vs. Carolina. Husso allowed four goals on 37 shots (.892 SV%) on Tuesday but was able to secure a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues and will return to the crease on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Husso has been limited to only three starts (2-1-0) in the last seven games for the Red Wings, allowing four or more goals in each, posting a .864 SV% in the process. The Red Wings are +149 home underdogs against a Hurricanes team that has lost four of their last five (1-4-0), scoring more than three goals only once.Source: Carley Johnston
Jordan Binnington will start Thursday vs. Ottawa. Binnington had a forgettable performance on Tuesday, allowing five goals on 31 shots (.839 SV%) but will look to redeem himself as the Blues' starting goalie on Thursday. Binnington's season has consisted of hot and cold stretches and is currently amid a cold streak, losing three straight contests (0-3-0), allowing 13 goals on 13 total shots (.874 SV%). The Blues are slight +107 home underdogs against an Ottawa Senators team that has won three of their last five outings, outscoring their opposition 17-10. Source: Lou Korac
Vladar will start in Minnesota on Thursday. Vladar will be back between the pipes for Calgary on Thursday after conceding the start in each of the last two games to rookie Dustin Wolf. Vladar was lit up by the Avalanche his last time out, surrendering six goals on 38 shots enroute to a 6-5 defeat. He has struggled to take advantage of the extra playing time afforded to him as a result of Jacob Markstrom's injury, registering a woeful .876 SV% and a 3.76 GAA on the season. Vladar and the Flames find themselves as +125 underdogs in Minnesota on Thursday. Source: Pat Steinberg
Filip Gustavsson will start Thursday vs. Calgary. Gustavsson saved all 24 shots he faced in his last outing for his second shutout of the season and will return to the crease on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. After a horrendous 10-game stretch (1-6-2) where he posted a .864 SV%, Gustavsson has been tremendous in his last five games (4-1-0), dating back to John Hynes taking over as Minnesota's head coach, posting a ridiculous .951 SV% in the process. The Wild are -146 home favourites against a Flames team that has lost three straight and five of their last six (1-4-1).Source: Joe Smith
Vasilevskiy will start in Edmonton on Thursday. Vasilevskiy fell back down to earth in Vancouver on Thursday, surrendering three goals on just 21 shots in the 4-1 defeat. It ended a three-game winning streak for Vasilevskiy, who finally looked to be rounding into form after an understandably slow start to his season. The 2020-21 Conn Smythe Trophy winner owns an uncharacteristically low .894 SV% on the season to go along with his 4-4-0 record. He draws another difficult assignment on Thursday against Connor McDavid and the Oilers. Source: Chris Krenn
Skinner will start against the Lightning on Thursday. Skinner will start for the second straight game as he searches for his eighth consecutive victory. Skinner has been tremendous lately allowing fewer than three goals in five of his last seven games (7-0-0), boasting a stellar .935 SV%. The Oilers will look for their ninth straight win as sizeable -173 home favourites against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has lost two of their last three (1-2-0), being outscored 12-6, and will be without Victor Hedman for a second straight game.Source: NHL.com
Sergei Bobrovsky will start Thursday at Vancouver. Bobrovsky will start for the second consecutive game on Thursday when the Panthers face off against the Vancouver Canucks. Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV) in his last game, a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Kraken, but won four straight beforehand, allowing more than one goal only once, posting a .941 SV% in the process. The Panthers are slight -115 road favourites against a Canucks team that has won three straight, outscoring their opposition 10-4.Source: Doug Plagens
Demko will start Thursday's game against the Panthers. Demko is fresh off his league-leading 14th win of the season, putting on a dominant display in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He allowed just one goal on 29 shots in the contest, boosting his SV% to .918 on the season. The 28-year-old netminder has been in outstanding form this season, firmly bouncing back from his injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign. He will have his hands full again on Thursday as the Canucks play host to the Panthers and their high-powered attack. Source: Thomas Drance
Arvid Soderblom will start Thursday at Seattle. Soderblom will likely start on Thursday and hope to rebound after allowing four goals on 27 shots (.852 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals in his last start. The Blackhawks have struggled in all facets this season, but Soderblom has easily been the weaker of two goalies, recording only two of the team's nine wins and posting an ugly 3.66 GAA and .882 SV%. Soderblom and the Blackhawks will see one of their better matchups this season on Thursday but are still +207 road underdogs against the Seattle Kraken, who rank fourth-worst in the league offensively (2.57 GF / GP) and have lost eight of their last nine games (1-6-2).Source: Ben Pope
Daccord will start Thursday's game against Chicago. Daccord is coming off his first career shutout, a 24-save performance, in a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Daccord has become the de facto starting goalie for the Kraken with Philipp Grubauer out of the lineup but has been better than him between the pipes all season. Over his past three starts, Daccord has saved 73 of 77 shots (.949 SV%) but only managed a 1-2-0 record due to the Kraken's inability to score consistently. That said, Seattle has a favourable matchup on Thursday as -236 home favourites against the Chicago Blackhawks, who have lost two straight and rank second-worst in the league offensively (2.36 GF / GP).Source: Sound of Hockey