Markstrom allowed one goal on 23 shots in the Canucks win in St. Louis on Sunday. Markstrom has won back-to-back games, while stopping 48 of the 52 shots (.923 SV%) that he has faced. Tonight he makes his first start against the Blue Jackets—Markstrom is 4-5-2 with a 3.23 GAA and .894 SV% on the road.
Bjugstad missed Saturday’s game against the Rangers and will miss at least two more games with an upper-body injury. With Bjugstad out, Troy Brouwer was elevated into the top-6 at Monday’s practice.
Bjugstad was not on the ice for the Panthers morning skate and head coach Bob Boughner announced that he is day-to-day. Don’t expect to see Bjugstad on Saturday, which means Denis Malgin will draw into the lineup.
Allen gave up just two goals on 36 shots in the Blues loss to the Oilers on Wednesday. Allen has struggled at times this season but has played better as of late. In his last five appearances, Allen has given up just 12 goals on 135 shots (.911 SV%). The 28-year-old has gone 3-4-2 with a 2.65 GAA and .913 SV% on the road this season.
Markstrom allowed four goals on 31 shots in the Canucks loss to the Golden Knights last Thursday. Markstrom will make his first start in a week and comes in at 1-6-2 with a 3.35 GAA and .897 SV% in his last nine starts. He draws a tough matchup even though the Predators are banged up—he is 5-4-1 with a 3.18 GAA and .903 SV% on home-ice.
Bjugstad left Tuesday’s game early and practiced in a non-contact sweater on Wednesday. Despite all of that, it looks like Bjugstad will play vs. the Avalanche. Bjugstad has just 10 points (4G / 6A) in 26 games this season.
Bjugstad was on the ice for Wednesday’s practice in a non-contact sweater after leaving Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Bob Boughner said Bjugstad was feeling “surprisingly decent” and listed him as a game-time decision for tonight’s game vs. the Avalanche. Juho Lammikko centred the third line with Bjugstad limited in practice.
Pesce was activated from IR on Saturday but was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game. In total, he has sat out for the last nine games but returns tonight with two goals, one assist and 27 shots in 17 games this season.
Meier has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury but will play tonight vs. the Hurricanes. Meier will skate on a line with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen and re-enters the lineup with 13 goals and 10 assists (23 points) in 25 games.
Allen allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Blues win in Colorado last Friday. Dating back to early-November, Allen has gone 3-5-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .918 SV% in eight starts and one relief appearance. Tonight he faces an Oilers team that is 4-2-1 while averaging just 2.00 goals per game under Ken Hitchcock.
Meier has missed the last three games but skated with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen in Tuesday’s practice, suggesting he’ll be back on Wednesday. Monitor his status when the Sharks hit the ice for tomorrow’s morning skate.
Bratt missed the Devils morning skate on Monday and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight's game vs. the Lightning. Stefan Noesen skated in Bratt's spot on the second line, so look for him to get top-6 minutes tonight if Bratt is unavailable.
Pesce has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury but is expected to play Sunday in Los Angeles. Pesce has just two goals and one assist in 17 games this season.
