With both Mason Marchment and Radek Faksa day-to-day, Mavrik Bourque has been recalled and will be used for Game 3 on Saturday if need be. The 22-year-old centre is coming off a sensational season with Texas (AHL) where he had 26 goals, 77 points and 32 PIMs in 71 games played.
Lyubushkin was away from the Maple Leafs on Friday due to the birth of his child but is expected to be ready to play on Saturday for Game 4 vs. Boston. The 30-year-old shutdown defenseman has played well since being acquired at the trade deadline and has one assist, one SOG, two PIMs, and a +2 plus/minus in the first three games of the playoffs.
Thatcher Demko will remain out of the lineup for at least one more game and as a result, the Canucks will turn to DeSmith between the pipes again in game three. DeSmith struggled in game two, his series debut, allowing three goals on 15 shots (.800 SV%), in a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, evening the series at 1-1. The Canucks enter action as +101 road underdogs on Friday.
The Stars will turn to Oettinger in game two as they look to rebound from a series-opening loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Oettinger had a forgettable opening game performance, allowing four goals on 15 shots (.733 SV%), all in the first 22 minutes of the contest in a 4-3 loss. The Stars enter action on Wednesday as -161 home favourites.
With the surprising news that Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) will not be available for game two, and possibly beyond, the Canucks will turn to DeSmith in the crease. DeSmith is familiar with the Canucks crease as he was their mainstay between the pipes for the latter part of the season as Demko missed most of the final month due to a knee injury. DeSmith had a 2.89 GAA and .895 SV% in 29 games this season (12-9-6). The Canucks enter game two against the Nashville Predators as -131 home favourites.
Seguin was in and out of the lineup for the final several weeks of the season for precautionary measures after returning from a substantial lower-body injury. He did not play in the final game of the regular season but will re-enter the Stars lineup for game one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Seguin enjoyed a bounce-back 2023-24 campaign, scoring 52 points (25G / 27A) in 68 games.
The Stars will turn to Oettinger between the pipes for their first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Oettinger had a rough start to the season but was amongst the best goalies in the league for the final month, allowing two or fewer goals in 10 of eleven games (10-1-0), posting a sensational .941 SV%. The Stars enter action on Monday as -140 home favourites against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Blackwell will get the chance to play once more this year as he draws into Chicago's lineup for their regular season finale. He enters tonight's contest with eight goals and four assists in 43 games.
Seguin has been in and out of the lineup for the last several weeks for precautionary measures after returning from a lower-body injury. Evgenii Dadonov (lower-body) will return from a multi-month absence and replace Seguin in the lineup. Seguin has enjoyed a bounce-back 2023-24 campaign, scoring 52 points (25G / 27A) in 68 games.
Dadonov has not played since February 10th due to a lower-body fracture and will return to the lineup in the Stars' final game of the season. Dadonov had three points (2G / 1A) in his last five games before his injury and has 23 points (12G / 11A) in 50 games this season. Tyler Seguin (rest) will be the odd man out of the lineup.
The Stars can clinch the Western Conference title with a single point on Wednesday and will turn to Oettinger between the pipes to try and do so. Oettinger has started four straight and has been excellent lately, allowing two or fewer goals in nine of his last 10 (9-1-0), including saving 26 of 28 shots (.963 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Stars enter action on Wednesday as -227 home favourites against the St. Louis Blues.
Dadonov has not played since February 10th due to a lower-body fracture and could return to the lineup in the Stars' final game of the season. Dadonov had three points (2G / 1A) in his last five games before his injury and has 23 points (12G / 11A) in 50 games this season.
Hyry is an undrafted 24-year-old forward from Finland. He has spent the last four seasons overseas playing with Karpat (SM-liiga) and collected 31 points (14G / 17A) in 55 games in the 2023-24 campaign.
