Rittich stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Flames win in St. Louis on Sunday. Rittich started both games of the Flames’ weekend back-to-back, winning both games while stopping 60 of 63 shots (.952 SV%). In his first start against the Stars, Rittich allowed four goals on 28 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss (Nov.28).
Rittich allowed one goal on five shots after replacing Mike Smith in the Flames win over the Flyers on Wednesday. With Smith listed as day-to-day, Rittich could get the next couple of games. The 26-year-old is 4-3-0 with a 1.72 GAA, .946 SV% and one shutout on the road this season.
Allen allowed three goals on 25 shots in the Blues win over the Panthers on Tuesday. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Allen, who has gone 3-1-1 with a 2.31 GAA, .918 SV% and one shutout in his last five starts. In his first game against the Avalanche, Allen stopped 27 of 29 shots in a 3-2 overtime win (Nov.30).
Allen was pulled after allowing three goals on six shots in the Blues loss to the Canucks on Sunday. Chad Johnson was waived and picked up by Anaheim, which means Allen will have to outplay Jordan Binnington for playing time moving forward. Tonight he takes on the Panthers on home-ice, where he is 4-4-2 with a 3.86 GAA and .879 SV%.
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.
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.
