Couturier is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury so he will not play in Buffalo this afternoon. Either Jordan Weal or Phil Varone, who was recalled on Friday, will replace Couturier in the lineup.
Bernier allowed four goals on 31 shots in the Red Wings overtime win in Toronto on Thursday. In his last six outings (five starts), Bernier has gone 3-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA and .914 SV%. Tonight he faces an Islanders team that is 6-7-1 on the road and rank 20th in the NHL in goal-scoring (2.89 GF/pg).
Sedlak has been in the lineup for 10 straight games, picking up just one assist. Tonight he will be replaced by Anthony Duclair.
Duclair was a healthy scratch for the last four games but will replace Lukas Sedlak in the lineup on Saturday. Duclair has recorded eight goals and four assists (12 points) in 24 games this season and will skate on the third line tonight.
Bjugstad was not on the ice for the Panthers morning skate and head coach Bob Boughner announced that he is day-to-day. Don’t expect to see Bjugstad on Saturday, which means Denis Malgin will draw into the lineup.
Ryan was forced to leave Thursday’s game and GM Pierre Dorion said that he is out with a concussion. There is currently no timetable for Ryan’s return, so expect Max McCormick/Nick Paul to replace him going forward.
Duchene was forced to leave Thursday’s game with a groin injury and was placed on IR on Friday. Senators GM Pierre Dorion announced that Duchene will miss multiple weeks, which will force both Colin White and Chris Tierney into bigger roles.
Girgensons has been in the lineup for the last five games but will be replaced by Jason Pominville on Saturday. Girgensons has just six points (2G / 4A) in 27 games this season.
Pominville has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury but will replace Zemgus Girgensons on Saturday. Pominville has nine goals and nine assists (18 points) in 27 games this season.
Ullmark allowed four goals on 30 shots in the Sabres overtime loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. With Carter Hutton listed as day-to-day, Ullmark will be the Sabres’ No.1 netminder moving forward. The 25-year-old is 5-0-3 with a 2.71 GAA and .921 SV% this season. The Flyers come in at 6-5-1 in 12 road games.
Bernier allowed four goals on 31 shots in the Red Wings overtime win in Toronto on Thursday. In his last six outings (five starts), Bernier has gone 3-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA and .914 SV%. Tonight he faces an Islanders team that is 6-7-1 on the road and rank 20th in the NHL in goal-scoring (2.89 GF/pg).
Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Blue Jackets overtime win in Philadelphia on Thursday. It was a nice bounce-back performance from Bobrovsky, who allowed a combined 11 goals in a back-to-back losses in his previous two starts. In his first start against the Capitals, Bobrovsky stopped 33 of 34 shots in a 2-1 win on November 9th.
Smith stopped all 31 shots that he faced in the Flames shutout win over the Wild on Thursday. Smith has been unbelievable as of late, going 5-0-0 while stopping 107 of the 114 shots (.939 SV%) that he has faced. In his first two starts against the Predators, Smith has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .945 SV%.
Varlamov had a rough night on Tuesday, allowing six goals on 32 shots in Colorado’s loss in Pittsburgh. One bad night shouldn’t take away from what has been a strong season for the veteran netminder. However, he could have a hard time getting back on track in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning are 12-4-0 this year.
With Matt Duchene going on IR, Paul comes up from the AHL again. Paul has two goals and nine assists (11 points) in 15 games with Belleville this season but just seven points (3G / 4A) in 42 career NHL games, including six this season.
The Senators have yet to provide a detailed injury report on Duchene, who was hurt in Thursday’s game against Montreal. His move to IR means that he will miss at least one week, so the Senators recalled Nick Paul from Belleville (AHL) to replace him on the active roster.
Bunting, 23, was a fourth-round pick (No.117 overall) in 2014 and could make his NHL debut on Saturday. Buntin has picked up six goals and 12 assists (18 points) in 20 games with the Roadrunners this season.
Varone continues to put up impressive numbers at the AHL level, collecting 11 goals and 17 assists (28 points) in 22 games this season. This is one year after leading the Phantoms with 70 points (23G / 47A) in 74 games. Varone could get a chance to make his Flyers debut on their five-game road-trip.
Mrazek stopped 33 of 34 shots in the Hurricanes loss in Los Angeles last Sunday. With Curtis McElhinney dealing with an undisclosed injury, look for Mrazek to start tonight in Anaheim. The Ducks come in on a five-game winning streak having averaged 3.80 goals for per game over that span.
