Robinson had no points in three games with the Blue Jackets and returns to Cleveland where he has 10 goals and nine assists (19 points) in 33 games. Kevin Stenlund comes up to replace him on the roster.
Andersen was originally expected to return from a five-game absence due to a groin injury but will not be available tonight because of the flu. With Andersen still sidelined, Michael Hutchinson will make his fifth consecutive start.
Carrier was believed to be a healthy scratch on Sunday but is dealing with an undisclosed ailment. Moving him to IR opened up a roster spot for Vegas to call-up Brandon Pirri from Chicago (AHL).
Staal has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury and was moved to IR to open up a roster spot for Greg McKegg to be called-up.
Andersen was already expected to miss Thursday’s game so moving him to IR was simply a formality to open up a roster spot. The Maple Leafs are also without Garret Sparks (concussion protocol) so Michael Hutchinson was recalled to start on Thursday afternoon.
Frederik Andersen was on the ice for Friday’s optional morning skate and stayed on late for extra work with Garret Sparks starting in Columbus. The Maple Leafs announced that their No.1 netminder is day-to-day with a groin injury and Kasimir Kaskisuo was recalled to serve as Sparks’ backup on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are not well equipped to deal with Andersen being sidelined long-term after losing Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard in training camp, so they are hoping this is a minor groin injury.
Hall will miss his second straight game and fourth game in the last eight due to a lower-body injury. The Devils don’t seem overly concerned about Hall missing an extended period of time so he could be back early next week.
Hall missed two games earlier this month with a lower-body injury and apparently it is still lingering. With Hall out, look for Stefan Noesen to draw back into the lineup.
Andersen allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Maple Leafs win over the Panthers on Thursday. It was Andersen’s second win in a row, which is a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre December. He has not faced the Rangers this season but is a must-start against them at the Scotiabank Arena, where he is 8-5-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .938 SV%.
Staal has missed the last five games with a concussion but is set to return to the lineup Thursday vs. the Red Wings. Staal has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 27 games this season.
Andersen allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Maple Leafs win in New Jersey on Tuesday. Andersen snapped a brief two-game losing streak for Andersen, who is 4-2-1 with a 3.34 GAA and .897 SV%. It’s a bit of a tough month for the 29-year-old netminder, who faces the Panthers for the second time in a week—he allowed four goals on 33 shots in a 4-3 OT loss in Florida last Saturday.
Hall has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but will play Tuesday vs. the Maple Leafs. Hall will be back on the top line with Nico Hischier and that duo has a 55.1 CF% and are averaging an impressive 33 scoring chances for/60 in 280:15 5v5 TOI together this season. Overall, Hall has eight goals and 23 assists (31 points) in 29 games.
Andersen gave up four goals on 21 shots in the Maple Leafs loss in Tampa Bay on Thursday. Andrei Vasilevskiy stood on his head at the other end, handing Andersen his ninth loss of the season. Andersen has not faced the Panthers this season but comes in at 10-4-0 with a 2.83 GAA and .915 SV% on the road.
