The fact that Bernier will travel is a good sign that his injury is not going to force him to miss an extended period of time. With him not being available on Wednesday, look for Thomas Greiss to make his third consecutive start in the Red Wings' net.
Allen allowed one goal on 32 shots in the Canadiens 2-0 loss to the Flames on Saturday. It was another terrific outing from Allen but Jacob Markstrom was perfect at the other end of the ice. Through three starts with Montreal, Allen has a 1.68 GAA and .933 SV%, proving he is one of the best backup options in the NHL and an outstanding handcuff or standalone fantasy netminder.
Markstrom allowed four goals on 21 shot sin the Flames loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. David Rittich gave him the night off in Montreal on Thursday, so Markstrom will be making his sixth start of the year on Saturday. He's dropped two straight and is 2-2-1 with a 2.62 GAA and .911 SV% in his first five starts in a Flames uniform.
Allen allowed three goals on 17 shots in the Canadiens win in Vancouver on January 21st. It wasn't as solid as his debut with Montreal but it was enough to move Allen to 2-0-0 to start the season. With a back-to-back coming up on Monday and Tuesday, it's surprising that Allen will get this start. He'll face a Flames team that has lost three in a row while being outscored 11-to-7.
Noesen has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace John Leonard in the lineup on Thursday. Noesen has no points and two shots on goal in three games this season.
Bratt has cleared COVID-19 protocol and has been added to the added roster, which clears the way for him to make his season debut on Thursday. It seems likely that Bratt will replace Nick Merkley in the lineup since Merkley was sent to the taxi squad in a subsequent move. Bratt has three straight seasons of 30-plus points, scoring a career-high 16 goals with 16 assists (32 points) in 60 games last year.
Markstrom allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Flames loss to the Maple Leafs on Sunday. Since his opening night loss in Winnipeg, Markstrom has gone 2-1-0 while turning aside 86 of the 91 shots (.945 SV%) that he's faced in his last three games. Tonight he gets a rematch vs. a Toronto team that has won four of their last five games while scoring 2.80 goals per game.
Noesen was a healthy scratch on Monday but will replace Frederik Händemark in the lineup on Wednesday. After playing on the fourth line on Saturday, Noesen will play with Dylan Gambrell and John Leonard on Wednesday.
Allen served as Carey Price’s backup in the first two games of the season but will make his Canadiens debut Monday in Edmonton. There are easier matchups than facing Connor McDavid in your debut but he is 5-2-0 vs. Edmonton in the last three seasons. The 30-year-old is coming off of a 12-6-3, 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% in 2020, so he is one of the most reliable backup options in the NHL.
