Barkov has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury and was on a tear before he left the lineup, scoring seven points (0G / 7A) in his last five games. He'll reclaim his usual spot centering the Panthers' first line.
Forsling sat out the previous game for the Panthers for personal reasons but will be ready to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Arizona Coyotes. Forsling has scored a goal in each of his last two games while registering six shots and four hits.
The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday with Anthony Stolarz between the pipes but will return to Bobrovsky on Wednesday evening. Bobrovsky's 2.55 GAA is his best since the 2017-18 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the veteran netminder has struggled lately, allowing three or more goals in three straight (0-1-1), posting an ugly .846 SV%. The Panthers are sizeable -206 home favourites against an Arizona Coyotes club riding a two-game winning streak.
Head coach Paul Maurice expressed that Barkov will likely return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Arizona Coyotes, barring any unforeseen changes. Barkov has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury and was on a tear before he left the lineup, scoring seven points (0G / 7A) in his last five games.
The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday with Anthony Stolarz between the pipes but will likely return to Bobrovsky on Wednesday evening. Bobrovsky's 2.55 GAA is his best since the 2017-18 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but the veteran netminder has struggled lately, allowing three or more goals in three straight (0-1-1), posting an ugly .846 SV%. The Panthers are sizeable -206 home favourites against an Arizona Coyotes club riding a two-game winning streak.
The Sharks will turn to back to Kahkonen on Monday after Mackenzie Blackwood got the call in each of their previous two games. Kahkonen allowed just two goals on 34 shots his last time out but was still saddled with the loss as the Sharks were shutout by the Sabres. He has lost seven straight decisions in regulation, despite posting an admirable .908 SV% over that span. He'll have a hard time breaking that streak on Monday with the Sharks being +310 underdogs against the Kings.
It's unclear whether this is injury related or simply a healthy scratch. Josh Mahura will draw into the lineup in Forsling's place. Forsling has seven goals and twelve assists in 45 games this season.
Vanecek served as the backup to Nico Daws on Saturday in a one-side 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. Given Vanecek's tremendous effort the previous night, saving 29 of 30 shots (.967 SV%) in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Devils will turn back to him on Monday. Vanecek has helped a struggling Devils squad record at least a point in each of his last three starts (2-0-1), posting a .907 SV% in the process. The Devils, losers of three of their last four (1-3-0), are -120 road underdogs against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are riding a three-game winning streak.
Vanecek served as the backup to Nico Daws on Saturday in a one-side 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. Given Vanecek's tremendous effort the previous night, saving 29 of 30 shots (.967 SV%) in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Devils will likely turn back to him on Monday. Vanecek has helped a struggling Devils squad record at least a point in each of his last three starts (2-0-1), posting a .907 SV% in the process. The Devils, losers of three of their last four (1-3-0), are -120 road underdogs against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are riding a three-game winning streak.
Barkov will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury when the Panthers travel to Nashville on Monday. Barkov will remain in Florida to get more ice time with the hopes that he'll be back for Wednesday's game vs. the Coyotes.
With his grasp on the Devils' starting job slowly slipping away from him, Vanecek will get a shot at redemption on Friday as he will be back between the pipes for the Devils when they travel to Columbus. Nico Daws got the nod in goal in each of New Jersey's previous three games, but head coach Lindy Ruff is opting to go back to Vanecek after suffering back-to-back defeats. We last saw Vanecek on January 11th when he surrendered four goals on just 20 shots as the Devils suffered a 4-3 overtime defeat at the hands of the Lightning. Vanecek has managed to scrape together a 14-7-2 record on the season despite an .882 SV%. He's in an ideal spot to get back in the win column on Friday with the Devils being -150 favourites in Columbus.
Sturm has been out since December 12th due to an abdomen injury but will draw back into the Sharks' lineup for the first time in a month Saturday vs. Anaheim. The 28-year-old role playing centre has struggled to produce so far in 2023-24, with his two goals, four points, 30 SOG, 10 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus through 26 games played prior to the injury.
The positive news for the Panthers is that Barkov will not miss extended time, but he will not be available for Friday's contest against the Minnesota Wild, missing a second straight game due to a lower-body injury. Before his injury, Barkov was producing at a torrid pace, scoring 16 points, all assists, in his last 11 games. Anton Lundell is expected to skate on the top line alongside Sam Reinhart in his absence.
The Panthers have lost three straight after seeing their nine-game winning streak end last week and will turn to Bobrovsky between the pipes on Thursday to get back into the win column. Bobrovsky has allowed three or more goals in three of his last four games (2-2-0), posting a subpar .890 SV% in the process. The Panthers will be facing a Minnesota Wild club that has been shut out in two of their last five games (1-3-1) but is coming off an impressive 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders.
After spending the last two seasons exclusively in the NHL, splitting time between the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators, Asplund could get his first crack at an NHL game this season after being recalled by the Panthers. In 33 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Asplund has 19 points (4G / 15A) and 12 penalty minutes.
Josh Mahura will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Kulikov to return from a one-game absence due to an undisclosed injury. In his last contest, Kulikov played only 13:49 time-on-ice, registering two hits and a -2 plus/minus.
