Saros’ start volume has increased each season he’s been in the NHL as the Predators are making a concerted effort to cut-back Pekka Rinne’s workload. 2018-19 was Saros’ worst season to date, but his .921 SV% through his first three years is among the NHL’s best. He did not face Detroit last season but was 6-5-1 with a 2.94 GAA and .902 SV% on home-ice.
Holtby stopped 20 of the 22 shots that he faced to earn the overtime win in St. Louis on opening night. With Ilya Samsonov getting the start against the Islanders on Friday, the Capitals will come back with Holtby tonight vs. Carolina. He was 4-0-0 with a 2.21 GAA and .918 SV% in four starts vs. the Hurricanes last season.
Binnington stopped 31 of 34 shots in the Blues opening night overtime loss to the Capitals. Everyone is wondering if Binnington is the real deal and his first start was positive, despite the eventual loss. In his second start, he takes on a Dallas team that he was 1-2-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .879 SV% against last season.
After three seasons with the Panthers, Reimer was traded to the Hurricanes this summer and will likely split time with Petr Mrazek. Reimer was 13-12-15 with a 3.09 GAA and .900 SV% last year, so it’s difficult to trust him on most nights. A road meeting with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals is a good spot to leave Reimer on the bench or free agency.
Malgin had two shots in 10:59 TOI in the season opener but Joel Quenneville will pull him from Saturday’s lineup. Malgin will be replaced by Jayce Hawryluk.
Hawryluk, 23, split his 2019 campaign between the AHL and NHL. During his time with the Panthers, he had seven goals and five assists (12 points) in 42 games. While with Springfield, he tallied 32 points (8G / 24A) in 31 games. He will replace Denis Malgin in the lineup on Saturday.
L’Esperance is the third Texas forward to be recalled in the last 24 hours. The 24-year-old centre had two goals in 18 games with Dallas last season and also added 45 points (30G / 15A) in 54 AHL appearances.
With Roman Polak out long-term, the Stars had to dig into their farm system over the last 24 hours. Hanley failed to register a point in 16 NHL games last year but had 28 points (8G / 20A) in 60 AHL contests.
After three seasons with the Panthers, Reimer was traded to the Hurricanes this summer and will likely split time with Petr Mrazek. Reimer was 13-12-15 with a 3.09 GAA and .900 SV% last year, so it’s difficult to trust him on most nights. A road meeting with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals is a good spot to leave Reimer on the bench or free agency.
Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 29 shots in the Panthers opening night loss in Tampa Bay. It was a tough start to his Panthers career, but matchups don’t come more difficult than the Lightning. He’ll look to bounce back against the same high-powered squad tonight, but use Thursday as a cautionary tale.
Murray surrendered three goals on 41 shots in the Penguins’ season-opening loss to the Sabres on Thursday. Murray delivered a strong performance, but he was just about the only Pittsburgh player to do so. They have an excellent chance to bounce-back and get Murray the win tonight vs. a Blue Jackets team on the tail-end of a back-to-back.
Holl skated just 9:07 TOI in his season debut on Saturday. Head coach Mike Babcock wanted to get Holl into the lineup, but Martin Marincin will replace him vs. Montreal on Saturday.
Petan had two shots on goal in 6:54 TOI in his season debut on Saturday but will be replaced by Dmytro Timashov on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are essentially holding fourth-line auditions and Petan should draw back into the lineup shortly.
Spezza had two shots on goal in 10:36 TOI in his Maple Leafs debut on Saturday. The fourth line rotation will continue vs. the Canadiens, with Nick Shore replacing Spezza.
Timashov had one assist in 8:50 TOI in his NHL debut on Wednesday but was a healthy scratch on Saturday. The fourth-line rotation will continue tonight with Timashov replacing Nic Petan.
Marincin played just 13:46 TOI in the Maple Leafs season opener but was replaced by Justin Holl on Friday night. He will draw back in on Saturday, skating on the third-pair with Rasmus Sandin.
Shore played 8:33 TOI in his Maple Leafs debut on Wednesday but was replaced by Jason Spezza last night. The Maple Leafs are essentially holding fourth-line auditions while Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott are out, so the player rotation will continue on Saturday.
Hutton made 28 saves on 29 shots in the Sabres 3-1 win over the Penguins on opening night. Hutton quieted the doubters by passing his first test of the season and his second start comes against a Devils team that blew a four-goal lead last night. He is 14-9-2 in his last 25 starts in Buffalo, so he’s a decent option vs. an up-and-coming New Jersey squad.
Price was peppered in the Canadiens season opener, stopping 40 of the 43 shots he faced in their 4-3 shootout loss. It was great to see Price stand-tall but the Canadiens will need to be sharper defensively to give Price a fighting chance. Tonight he faces a lethal Maple Leafs team, that he was 0-1-2 with a 3.63 GAA and .882 SV% against last season.
