Murphy missed the Blackhawks season opener but will draw into the lineup on Thursday. Murphy, who had 13 points (5G / 8A) in 52 games last year, will skate on the third pair with Slater Koekkoek.
Grimaldi was absent from the morning skate on Thursday and head coach Peter Laviolette listed him as a game-time decision. Daniel Carr skated in his spot on the third line and will replace him in Grimaldi is unable to go.
Dubnyk gave up three goals on 31 shots in the Wild’s loss in Colorado last Saturday. It has been a tough start to the year for Dubnyk, who has given up seven goals on 62 shots (.887 SV%) in two games. Alex Stalock was scheduled to start tonight but with the 0-2 start, the Wild will go back to their No.1 netminder in Winnipeg. Dubnyk was 4-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .950 SV% vs. the Jets last year.
Rittich surrendered four goals on 40 shots in the Flames overtime loss to the Kings on Tuesday. It was a disappointing effort against a beatable team but Rittich is expected to make his fourth consecutive start tonight in Dallas. Rittich was 0-2-1 with a 2.73 GAA and .899 SV% in three games vs. the Stars last season.
Holtby surrendered four goals on 26 shots in the Capitals overtime loss to the Stars on Tuesday. After a win on opening night, Holtby has dropped his last two starts while allowing a combined seven goals on 54 shots (.870 SV%). Holtby is 16-10-1 in his last 27 road starts but has a terrible matchup in Nashville.
Dahlstrom has not recorded a point and is a minus-2 while play 22:04 ATOI in his first two games with the Jets. Dmitry Kulikov (personal) will replace Dahlstrom on Thursday.
Niku had one shot in 17:01 TOI in his season debut on Tuesday but will come out of the lineup on Thursday. Josh Morrissey (upper-body) will draw in for him after missing the last two games.
Kulikov missed Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh but is expected to replace Sami Niku in the lineup on Thursday. Kulikov has one goal and one assist while averaging 20:18 TOI/gm in three games this season.
Morrissey missed Saturday’s game against the Islanders with an upper-body injury and was held out of Tuesday’s game for “precautionary reasons.” Morrissey has played 26:01 ATOI in his first two games as the team’s No.1 defenseman and will be back on the top-pair and top PP tonight.
Crawford allowed four goals on 38 shots in the Blackhawks’ season-opening loss to the Flyers overseas. Back in North America, it looks like Crawford will start the home-opener vs. the Sharks. The 34-year-old netminder was 8-6-4 with a 2.54 GAA, .921 SV% and one shutout on home-ice last year and faces a Sharks team that is off to a dreadful start to the season.
Bernier gave up three goals on 22 shots in the Red Wings win over the Stars last Sunday. Bernier made a massive stop in the final seconds to preserve his first win of the season. The Quebec native struggled on the road last year, going 6-12-4 with a 3.40 GAA and .899 SV%. He had to replace Jimmy Howard in two games vs. Montreal, allowing six goals on 62 shots (.903 SV%) in his three appearances vs. his hometown team.
Hellebuyck responded well after being benched on Sunday, stopping 37 of 38 shots in the Jets 4-1 win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. It was a big win behind an inexperienced blueline for the 26-year-old, who is 16-12-1 in his last 31 road starts. He was 0-4-0 with a 2.80 GAA and .911 SV% vs. the Wild last year, but Minnesota comes into tonight at 0-2-0.
Rinne made 33 saves on 35 shots in the Predators 5-2 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday. Rinne has had the ideal start to the 2019-20 season, going 2-0 while allowing just four goals on 59 shots (.932 SV%). He is now 21-9-1 in his last 31 games in Nashville and has won each of his last three starts vs. the Capitals.
After two years as the Blues unquestioned No.1 netminder, Allen was pushed aside by Jordan Binnington last year. After Binnington was called-up, Allen starts 42.3 percent of the games and went 9-9-4 with a 2.54 GAA and .910 SV%. Allen is now one of the best backup options in the NHL and has standalone value because he will get matchups like the one he has tonight in Ottawa.
Vasilevskiy gave up four goals on 28 shots in the Lightning’s loss in Florida last Saturday. Curtis McElhinney made his season debut on Sunday, so Vasilevskiy comes into Thursday’s game very well-rested. The 25-year-old was 16-4-2 with a 2.48 GAA, .923 SV% and three shutouts on the road last year and was 3-1-0 with a 1.77 GAA and .949 SV% vs. the Maple Leafs.
Bishop allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Stars overtime win in Washington on Tuesday. The victory ended a three-game slide to start the season for Dallas and pushed Bishop to 1-2-0 with a. 2.71 GAA and .902 SV% on the year. Bishop is 17-8-2 on home-ice dating back to the start of last season and did not give up a goal on 41 shots in two games vs. the Flames in 2019-20.
Crawford allowed four goals on 38 shots in the Blackhawks’ season-opening loss to the Flyers overseas. Back in North America, it looks like Crawford will start the home-opener vs. the Sharks. The 34-year-old netminder was 8-6-4 with a 2.54 GAA, .921 SV% and one shutout on home-ice last year and faces a Sharks team that is off to a dreadful start to the season.
Hornqvist missed Wednesday’s practice with a lower-body injury that he suffered in Tuesday’s loss. Taking part in the morning skate is a good sign that Hornqvist will be available tonight, but monitor his status as they hit the ice for warmups at 6:30 pm ET.
Murray gave up four goals on 22 shots in the Penguins 4-1 loss to the Jets on Tuesday. Murray has had a tough start to the season, going 1-2-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .903 SV% through three games. Wins could be hard to come by in the foreseeable future, with Evgeni Malkin, Alex Galchenyuk and Nick Bjugstad all sidelined with injuries. Tonight he faces a Ducks team that has started 3-0 but is averaging just 2.67 goals per game.
