Despite allowing four goals on 28 shots, Merzlinkins recorded his second win of the season on Saturday and will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Merzlinkins and the Blue Jackets are -146 home favourites against a Ducks team that is averaging a lowly 2.20 goals per game. The Blue Jackets will, however, be without their star forward Patrik Laine (upper-body).
Sorokin will return to the crease for the Islanders after getting his first night off on Saturday. Sorokin is a safe bet between the pipes on most nights but will be put to the ultimate test on Tuesday as the Islanders face off against the undefeated Colorado Avalanche (5-0-0). In three games this season (2-0-1), Sorokin has a 2.31 GAA and .914 SV% but is coming off his weakest performance thus far, allowing five goals on 39 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Husso is the likely starter for the red-hot Red Wings on Tuesday. The Red Wings are off to an excellent 5-1-0 start to the season, averaging a league-best 5.00 goals scored per game. Husso hasn't been spectacular, recording a 3.04 GAA and .901 SV% in four games (3-1-0), but has been much better in his last two contests with a 2.50 GAA and .929 SV%. He will look to continue his hot streak tonight as the Red Wings host a Seattle Kraken team that ranks third-worst in the league offensively, averaging only 1.83 goals scored per game.
In game six of the season for the Ottawa Senators, Forsberg will start for the third time. In two games (2-0-0), Forsberg has registered a 1.50 GAA and .933 SV%, clearly outperforming his counterpart, Joonas Korpisalo, thus far. Forsberg will hope to further cement himself as the early-season favourite in net for the Senators as they face off against a Buffalo Sabres team that suffered a 3-1 loss last night and is averaging only 2.17 goals scored per game. The Senators are listed as -179 home favourites tonight.
Savard will be out indefinitely after suffering an upper-body injury in the Canadiens' Monday night matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Savard has two points (0G / 2A), four hits, and 14 blocks in five games this season. Gustav Lindstrom was recalled on an emergency basis and will be an option to replace Savard on defence.
Shepard is a 27-year-old career AHLer, who has gone 2-0-0 while allowing six goals on 52 shots (.885 SV%) in his first two starts with Hershey this season. Shepard impressed in a 33-game stint with the Bears last season, posting a .916 SV% and a 2.18 GAA to go along with a 20-8-5 record. He draws a difficult matchup in his NHL debut with the Capitals being +205 road underdogs in New Jersey.
Lindstrom was recalled by the Canadiens and could be an option to replace David Savard (upper-body) on Tuesday as they play the second half of a back-to-back. The 38th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft played 36 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, recording eight points (1G / 7A) in 36 games.
Kuemper will start on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and hope to improve on his lacklustre start to the season. The Capitals have been very poor in general (1-2-1), receiving minimal goal support (1.25 GF/GP), paralleled by Kuemper's less-than-ideal 3.56 GAA and .887 SV%. The Maple Leafs have had their struggles as well (3-2-0), but scoring goals has not been one of them, as they enter Tuesday averaging 3.80 goals per game. Kuemper and the Capitals are +154 home underdogs against the Maple Leafs.
It appears Sorokin will return to the crease for the Islanders after getting his first night off on Saturday. Sorokin is a safe bet between the pipes on most nights but will be put to the ultimate test on Tuesday as the Islanders face off against the undefeated Colorado Avalanche (5-0-0). In three games this season (2-0-1), Sorokin has a 2.31 GAA and .914 SV% but is coming off his weakest performance thus far, allowing five goals on 39 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Stevenson has been serving as Darcy Kuemper's backup, with Charlie Lindgren sidelined with an injury. Hunter Shepard will replace him in that role on Tuesday. Stevenson has gone 4-1-0 while allowing 10 goals on 119 shots (.916 SV%) in five career AHL games.
Shepard is a 27-year-old career AHLer, who has gone 2-0-0 while allowing six goals on 52 shots (.885 SV%) in his first two starts with Hershey this season. He replaces Clay Stevenson on the Capitals' roster and figures to serve as Darcy Kuemper's backup vs. the Maple Leafs.
Sourdif failed to pick up a point in any of the three games he appeared in for the Panthers but only averaged 8:50 TOI and had two SOG in his first appearance in the NHL and has been loaned to Charlotte (AHL) Monday. The 21-year-old returns to the Checkers, where he had seven goals and 24 poitns in 48 games played in 2022-23.
Hunt was the Wild's 2020 third-round pick (65th overall) and has been recalled to Minnesota Monday for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old defensemen had yet to pick up a point with Iowa (AHL) but had seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through four games. Hunt has a shot to make his NHL debut if John Merrill is held out of the lineup due to injury Tuesday.
Voronkov had an assist, two PIMs, and a -1 plus/minus in four games with Cleveland (AHL) and has been recalled to Columbus amidst the news of Patrik Laine's injury. The 23-year-old forward was the Blue Jackets' 2019 fourth-round pick (114th overall) and is expected to make his NHL debut Tuesday vs. Anaheim.
Laine was the target of Rasmus Andersson's high hit which led to a four-game suspension and has now been placed on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old has not played more than 56 games in a single season since 2019-20 and had a goal and an assist through four games thus far in 2023-24.
Ingram will return to the crease on Tuesday for his third game, as the Coyotes continue to split time between their two netminders early this season. Ingram has played well to start the season, posting a 2.02 GAA and .926 SV% in two games (1-1-0). The Coyotes are +161 road underdogs against a Los Angeles Kings team that is scoring (4.20 GF/GP) almost as much as they are allowing (3.80 GA/GP).
Hall suffered a shoulder injury in game two of the season and was initially given a week-to-week prognosis. To everyone's surprise, Hall missed only one game and returned to the lineup. Three games later, Hall seems to have reaggravated his shoulder injury and is once again going to be week-to-week because of it. Hall has played primarily with Connor Bedard this season and has two points (0G / 2A) and seven shots in five games. The Blackhawks might welcome Philipp Kurashev back into their lineup on Tuesday, which would help replace Hall on the roster.
Zucker is week-to-week after exiting Saturday's game against the Anaheim Ducks with an upper-body injury. In his first season with the Coyotes, Zucker has two points (2G / 0A), 14 shots, and 7 hits in five games. Jan Jenik and Zach Sanford have both been recalled from the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL).
Sanford has registered one point (0G / 1A) in three games with the Tuscon Roadrunners this season and will hope to make his NHL season debut for the Coyotes with this most recent call-up. Sanford and Jan Jenik, who were both called up on Monday, are both candidates to cycle in and out of the lineup as Jason Zucker will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Jenik has already played two games for the Coyotes this season, going without a point and registering four hits and four penalty minutes. Jenik and Zach Sanford, who were both called up on Monday, are both candidates to cycle in and out of the lineup as Jason Zucker will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
