Byfuglien was on the ice for the Jets morning skate but will not play Saturday vs. the Ducks. His availability this morning suggests that Byfuglien will play Tuesday after missing 15 games with an ankle issue.
Hellebuyck allowed three goals on 31 shots in the Jets win over the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Since returning from the break, Hellebuyck has gone 2-0-0 while allowing a combined six goals on 70 shots (.914 SV%). It hasn’t always been pretty but the wins continue to pile up for Hellebuyck, who is now tied for second in the NHL with 23 despite being tied for 21st in SV% (.910) and 24th in GAA (2.85).
Balcers has spent the majority of the season in the AHL, where he has 15 goals and 13 assists (28 points) in 38 games with Belleville. During eight games in Ottawa, Balcers has one goal and one assist.
Lehner surrendered two goals on 40 shots in the Islanders loss in Chicago on January 22nd. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Lehner, who finished January at 6-1-1 with a 1.73 GAA, .935 SV% and one shutout in eight games. With Thomas Greiss going last night, Lehner is expected to make his second appearance vs. the Kings—he stopped 28 of 30 shots in a 7-2 win in their first meeting (Oct.18).
Delia allowed five goals on 39 shots in the Blackhawks win over the Capitals on January 20th. The win snapped a six-game losing skid for Delia, who has gone 4-2-3 with a 3.00 GAA and .923 SV% since joining the Blackhawks in late-December. Tonight it looks like he will face a Wild team that went 8-5-0 while averaging 2.46 GF/pg in January.
Stalock was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots in the Wild’s loss to the Ducks on January 17th. Stalock wrapped up January with his worst outing of the season, finishing the month at 1-2-0 with a 3.99 GAA and .865 SV%. In two appearances (one start) vs. Chicago this season, Stalock is 0-1-0 while allowing just three goals on 36 shots (.917 SV%).
Vlasic took to the ice for Friday’s practice and declared himself “100 percent” which suggests that he will play for the first time since January 2nd when the Sharks host the Coyotes tonight. Vlasic could see more minutes than usual with Erik Karlsson potentially not playing due to a lower-body issue.
The Sharks returned to the ice on Friday but Karlsson did not participate and remains a question mark for tonight’s game. The All-Star defenseman has been excellent for the Sharks this season and the team has gone 2-2-1 in the five games he’s missed due to injury or suspension his season. Fortunately for San Jose, it looks like they will at least get Marc-Edouard Vlasic back and Karlsson’s return seems just around the corner.
Jones allowed six goals on 39 shots in the Sharks win in Washington on January 22nd. Jones has been horrendous in his last three outings, giving up a 17 goals on 86 shots (.802 SV%). Tonight he faces a Coyotes team that has heated up, winning six of their last nine (6-2-1) while averaging 3.22 goals for per game.
Klefbom was a full-participant in Friday’s practice and travelled with the team to Philadelphia for Saturday’s game. The early start means the Oilers will not have a morning skate so Klefbom’s status may not be revealed until warmups or right before puck-drop. All signs seem to point towards the 25-year-old playing his first game since December 11th.
With Carey Price serving a one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star Game, McNiven has been called-up to serve as Antti Niemi’s backup on Saturday afternoon. The 21-year-old is 6-5-2 with a 2.38 GAA and .907 SV% in 16 AHL contests.
Price will not be available for Saturday’s game vs. the Devils, so Michael McNiven has been recalled from Laval (AHL) to backup Antti Niemi. This one-game suspension isn’t a big deal considering the Habs have a back-to-back on Saturday/Sunday and Niemi likely would have started one of the games regardless. Price will face the Oilers on Sunday.
Niemi allowed four goals on 23 shots in the Canadiens loss to the Flyers on January 19th. With Carey Price serving a one-game suspension for skipping the All-Star game, Niemi will start the front-end of the Canadiens’ back-to-back. Niemi is 4-1-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .912 SV% in five games on home-ice this season.
Hart allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Flyers win in Boston on Thursday. Hart has been one of the hottest goalies in the NHL as of late, winning five in a row while posting a 2.38 GAA and .930 SV%. The 20-year-old grew up 20 minutes outside of Edmonton and will get a shot at his hometown team this afternoon. The Oilers have the worst record in the NHL (5-12-0) since the middle of December.
Howard allowed two goals on 34 shots in the Red Wings win in Edmonton on January 22nd. Howard represented the Red Wings in the All-Star Game and is expected to represent them between the pipes vs. Toronto on Friday. Howie allowed four goals on 34 shots in a 5-3 loss in his first start against the Maple Leafs (Oct.11) this season.
Saros made 47 of 48 shots in the Predators win in Vegas on January 23rd. Saros has won two of his last three outings while stopping 99 shots 106 (.934 SV%). Saros figures to play a little more down the stretch and has been solid on the road this season, going 7-3-1 with a 2.72 GAA, .910 SV% and one shutout.
Greiss stopped all 19 shots that he faced in the Islanders 2-0 shutout win over the Capitals on January 18th. Greiss went into the break on a two-game winning streak, stopping 57 of the last 58 shots that he faced (.983 SV%). Tonight he faces a stiff test with the Lightning in town, but he stopped 38 of 39 shots in a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay a few weeks ago.
