Hill had a shutout going when he exited the game during the second intermission in an eventual 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. A concrete update has not been provided, making his status uncertain for the Golden Knights' next game on Saturday.
Carrier left Thursday's matchup vs. Minnesota after just three shifts and 1:39 TOI after being the recipient of a questionable hit from Kirill Kaprizov and is considered out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He has been enjoying a solid start to 2023-24, with a goal, seven assists, 16 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus in 22 games prior to his injury.
Berggren has been reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL after playing two games with the Red Wings, recording two points (0G / 1A), and averaging 11:36 time-on-ice. Berggren was originally recalled to replace Dylan Larkin (undisclosed), who has been away from the team. Nothing is official yet, but Berggren's reassignment to the AHL is an indication that Larkin might return to the lineup on Saturday.
An undisclosed injury to Cole Sillinger has resulted in Johnson drawing back into the Blue Jackets lineup. Johnson struggled to find his footing with the Blue Jackets this season after an impressive 2022-23 rookie campaign that saw him score 40 points (16G / 24A) in 79 games. Johnson was reassigned to the Cleveland Monsters earlier this season, dominating with 15 points (5G / 10A) in 10 games. He will hope to make an impact immediately as he is expected to skate on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner.
Olivier will draw back into the Blue Jackets lineup along with Kent Johnson as Cole Sillinger is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and Eric Robinson will be a healthy scratch. In 12 games this season, Olivier has three points (0G / 3A), 12 penalty minutes, and 30 hits, averaging 9:48 time-on-ice.
Robinson will be a healthy scratch on Monday as Mathieu Olivier and Kent Johnson will both draw back into the Blue Jackets lineup. Robinson has played five straight for the Blue Jackets and has one points (1G / 0A), averaging 12:40 time-on-ice in six total games this season.
Despite losing his last two starts, Merzlikins' play has improved significantly recently as the Latvian netminder will likely start on Friday against the Ottawa Senators. After a horrid stretch of play that saw him post a .879 SV% in seven games (2-2-2), Merzlikins has recorded a save percentage of .900 or better in seven of his last eight games (2-5-1), posting a .916 SV% in the process. The goal support has not been there for Merzlikins, as the Blue Jackets rank eighth-worst in the league offensively (2.88 GF / GP), but he has given his team a chance to win on most nights. The Blue Jackets are +140 home underdogs against a Senators team that has struggled to record victories lately, losing two consecutive games.
Solovyov has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, likely to add some depth to their defensive core after Nikita Zadorov was traded yesterday to the Vancouver Canucks. The 23-year-old Solovyov was drafted 205th overall by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has five points (2G / 3A), a +5 plus/minus rating, and 12 penalty minutes in 16 games with the Wranglers this season.
Smith has played 17 consecutive games for the Sharks but exited last night's contest after playing only 2:59 with a mid-body injury and will be a game-time decision on Friday. Smith has been held off the scoresheet in six straight games and has three points (1G / 2A) in 21 games this season.
Kahkonen and the Sharks have been much better of late but will be tested on Friday against the New Jersey Devils, who have won three straight, outscoring their opposition 16-9. Kahkonen has won two of his last three starts, including a heroic 44-save performance in a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blue on November 16th. That said, Kahkonen could play the game of his life and still come up short, as the Sharks are massive +401 road underdogs against the Devils. The Sharks and Devils are both playing back ends of a back-to-back, the Sharks having lost 3-0 to the Boston Bruins last night while the Devils were victorious 4-3 over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Korpisalo and the Senators will look to rebound after a terrible performance on Monday when he allowed five goals on 38 shots (.868 SV%) in a 5-0 loss to the Florida Panthers. Korpisalo has more consistently been the better option between the pipes for the Senators this season, but the team has struggled as a whole lately, losing two straight, being outscored 10-3, paralleled by Korpisalo's mediocre 3.34 GAA and .902 SV% through 12 games (5-5-0). That said, the Senators are -157 road favourites against Korpisalo's former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have lost two of their last three outings (1-2-0).
Sillinger has been playing some of his best hockey of late but is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury for the time being and will miss Friday's game vs. Ottawa. The 20-year-old is in his third NHL season and has a goal, eight assists, 42 SOG, 15 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus in 24 games so far this season.
After rumblings of a contract extension being in the works for several weeks, the two parties finally agreed on a three-year, $9.45 million contract. Montembeault has been a bright spot for the Canadiens this season, consistently putting up strong performances throughout the season thus far. Remarkably, seven of Montembeault's nine starts this season are quality starts (.778 QS%). He has a 2.73 GAA and .910 SV% along with a 5-3-1 record, totals considerably more impressive considering the Canadiens' 25th-ranked league defence (3.48 GA / GP).
Hill will return to the Golden Knights' crease on Thursday after Logan Thompson got the nod in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Oilers. Hill was stellar in a losing effort his last time out, stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced as Vegas fell to the Flames in overtime. The 27-year-old netminder is enjoying an outstanding season, posting a 9-2-2 record, a.933 SV%, and a 1.96 GAA. He draws a challenging matchup on Thursday as the Golden Knights travel to Vancouver to take on the Canucks.
Kuemper will get his third start in five games as he takes the crease Thursday in Ahaheim after allowing two goals on 23 shots (.913 SV%) in a loss to San Jose in his last appearance. The 33-year-old veteran has struggled this season which has led to almost an even split in Washington's crease, with his 4-4-2 record, .894 SV% and 2.95 GAA. He takes on the struggling Anaheim Ducks, who are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak and are 28th in the NHL in goals per game (2.68).
