Emil is the older brother of Canucks star rookie Elias Pettersson. The 25-year-old was a sixth-round pick in 2013 and has registered 33 points (11G / 22A) in 49 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season. Pettersson has never played in an NHL game and will report to Tucson (AHL) initially.
Mrazek gave up four goals on 32 shots in the Hurricanes loss to the Flames on Sunday. Curtis McElhinney started the last two games, including last night, so look for Mrazek to start Friday in New York. In his first start against the Rangers, Mrazek recorded the ‘W’ despite allowing five goals on 24 shots (Oct.7).
Lundqvist allowed four goals on 30 shots in the Rangers loss to the Kings on Monday. Lundqvist has dropped two straight starts while allowing a combined seven goals on 53 shots (.868 SV%). Tonight he faces a Hurricanes team that has gone 12-4-1 in their last 17 games—however they played in Buffalo last night.
Saros allowed one goal on 28 shots in the Predators win in Florida last Friday. Saros has been great in his last two starts, stopping 74 of the 76 shots (.974 SV%) that he faced. In his first start vs. Dallas this season, Saros gave up four goals on 24 shots but walked away on the winning end of a 5-4 overtime final (Nov.10).
Howard allowed two goals on 21 shots in the Red Wings overtime win over the Maple Leafs last Friday. Howard has won two straight while stopping 51 of 55 shots (.927 SV%). Tonight he takes on a Golden Knights team that has lost four of their last five but rank 15th in the NHL in goal-scoring (2.93 GF/pg).
Quick allowed three goals on 27 shots in the Kings win in New York on Monday. Quick has allowed three goals in three straight games, stopping 85 of the 94 shots (.904 SV%) that he has faced. Quick, who has gone 3-6-2 with a 3.31 GAA and .895 SV% on the road this season, will be in tough against a Flyers team riding an eight-game win streak.
Greiss stopped all 41 shots that he faced in the Islanders 1-0 shootout loss to the Lightning last Friday. Greiss has been outstanding as of late, going 2-0-1 while stopping 98 of the last 99 shots (.990 SV%) that he has faced. Greiss is also 2-0-0 with a 1.46 GAA, .961 SV% and one shutout in two games against the Devils this season, so he is a must-start tonight.
McElhinney stopped all 23 shots that he faced in the Hurricanes shutout win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. It was an impressive return to the crease for the veteran netminder, who will make his second straight start tonight in Buffalo. For a goalie who was waived at the start of the season, McElhinney has been dialled in most of the season and comes into Thursday’s game at 5-4-0 with a 2.67 GAA, .907 SV% and one shutout on the road.
DeSmith allowed three goals on 40 shots in the Penguins win over the Senators last Friday. With Matt Murray out, DeSmith could get the next couple of starts. DeSmith has gone 4-6-2 with a 2.83 GAA, .903 SV% and one shutout on the road this year.
Nilsson allowed five goals on 40 shots in the Senators loss in Pittsburgh last Friday. Nilsson was under siege all night vs. the high-powered Pens and it led to his worst outing since joining the Sens. Overall, he is 4-4-0 with a 2.53 GAA and .922 SV% since being acquired by Ottawa
Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Blue Jackets win in Colorado on Tuesday. The win snapped a personal three-game losing streak for Bobrovsky, who will make his 37th start of the season on Thursday. The 30-year-old is 10-8-0 with a 3.03 GAA, .903 SV% and one shutout on the road this year.
Fleury allowed two goals on 26 shots in the Golden Knights win in Tampa Bay on Tuesday. It was an impressive way to snap a three-game losing streak for Fleury, who is in must-start territory tonight in Detroit. Fleury is 13-9-1 with a 2.78 GAA, .898 SV% and one shutout on the road this year.
Jones stopped 25 of 27 shots in the Sharks win in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Jones is riding a three-game winning streak while allowing 10 goals on 99 shots (.899 SV%). Since the Christmas break, Jones leads all netminders in wins (11) even though he has a 3.03 GAA and .893 SV% in 13 starts.
Kuemper allowed five goals on 29 shots in the Coyotes loss in Dallas on Monday. Kuemper was unavailable for Tuesday’s game due to a minor upper-body injury but is available to start tonight vs. the Blue Jackets. Kuemper stopped 35 of 36 shots in 4-1 win in his first start against Columbus (Oct.23).
Markstrom allowed three goals on 31 shots in the Canucks loss in Washington on Tuesday. With Thatcher Demko out for 10 days, the Canucks will continue to ride Markstrom on Thursday. Markstrom stopped 24 of 26 shots in a 4-2 win in his first start against the Blackhawks this season.
Lehtera has been dealing with off the ice issues all season long and was a healthy scratch of the last four games and the Flyers finally decided to waive him.
Greer has not registered a point in five games with the Avalanche but has 13 goals and 16 assists (29 points) in 36 AHL games. There is no word who the 22-year-old will replace on Thursday.
Demko was dinged up in warmups on Tuesday and will miss at least 10 days with a minor sprain. Look for the Canucks to continue to lean on Jacob Markstrom while Demko is sidelined.
