NHL Hockey Player News

Staal has missed the last five games with a concussion but is set to return to the lineup Thursday vs. the Red Wings. Staal has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 27 games this season.

Mrazek stopped all 23 shots that he faced in the Hurricanes shutout win over Arizona on Sunday. Mrazek played well Sunday after allowing a combined nine goals in his previous two starts. Overall, he is 5-6-2 with a 2.56 GAA and .899 SV% on the season, including a 21-save performance in a 3-1 win in his first start against his former team.

Domingue gave up three goals on 26 shots in the Lightning’s win over the Rangers on December 10th. With Andrei Vasilevskiy back healthy, Domingue likely won’t see a lot of starts but he comes into Thursday’s game riding a personal six-game winning streak. Domingue was great while Vasilevskiy was out but draws a terrible matchup tonight in Calgary.

Fleury allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Golden Knights win in New York on Sunday. Fleury went 2-0-1 on Vegas’ road-trip but his owners will be happy to see him return home. Fleury is 10-3-1 with a 1.99 GAA and .928 SV% in 14 games at T-Mobile Arena and will look to beat the Islanders for the second time in just over a week.

Kuemper allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Coyotes loss to the Islanders on Tuesday. Kuemper has dropped all three of his games since returning to the Coyotes crease, allowing a combined 10 goals on 91 shots (.890 SV%). Kuemper has had his moments this season but has been sub-par on most nights and is a risky option even against a Canadiens team on the tail-end of a back-to-back.

Domingue gave up three goals on 26 shots in the Lightning’s win over the Rangers on December 10th. With Andrei Vasilevskiy back healthy, Domingue likely won’t see a lot of starts but he comes into Thursday’s game riding a personal six-game winning streak. Domingue was great while Vasilevskiy was out but draws a terrible matchup tonight in Calgary.

Hellebuyck surrendered three goals on 30 shots in the Jets loss in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Hellebuyck, who has gone 5-2-0 with a 2.40 GAA and .921 SV% in seven starts in December. Tonight he will face a Sharks team that has won five in a row and seven of their last eight while averaging 4.25 goals for per game.

Jones stopped all 26 shots that he faced in the Sharks shutout win in Minnesota on Tuesday. It was a huge bounce-back performance from getting pulled in Chicago two days before. Tonight he faces the Jets for the first time this season—he is 9-2-2 with a 2.62 GAA and .905 SV% on home-ice.

Price made 24 saves on 26 shots but it was not enough as the Canadiens fell to the Avalanche last night. Price has dropped two in a row but is 6-3-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .912 SV% in 10 December appearances so far. Starting on the road for a second straight night is a tough task but he draws a worthwhile matchup in Arizona.

Ward made 30 saves on 31 shots in the Blackhawks win over the Predators on Tuesday. The win ended a personal four-game losing streak for Ward, who is now 5-5-4 with a 3.95 GAA and .888 SV% on the season. Dallas has typically been a difficult place to play, so Ward likely won’t string two wins together. He is 3-3-2 with 3.83 GAA and .885 SV% on the road.

Spezza skated on Thursday morning but won’t play after losing eight pounds due to illness. Dennis Gurianov will remain in the Stars top-6 with Spezza out.

Rittich stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Flames loss in Dallas on Tuesday. It was still a strong performance but the loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Rittich, who has allowed just seven goals on the last 126 shots (.944 SV%) that he has faced. Rittich is 5-0-1 with a 3.09 GAA and .881 SV% in seven appearances at the Scotiabank Saddledome this year.

Hill was sent down on Wednesday in a “paper move” prior to the NHL’s roster freeze. There’s no word whether or not Hill will start on Thursday.

Garland was “sent” to the AHL on Wednesday in a paper move before the NHL roster freeze but returns ahead of Thursday’s game. Garland has not recorded a point but has 16 shots on goal while averaging 13:11 TOI/gm in six games.

Bishop stopped all 21 shots that he faced in the Stars shutout win over the Flames on Tuesday. Bishop left the game briefly but returned to complete the team shutout. Bishop has gone 3-3-0 with a 2.38 GAA and .922 SV% in December and is a must-start tonight vs. the Blackhawks. The 32-year-old is 7-2-1 with a 2.02 GAA and .935 SV% on home-ice.

Rittich stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Flames loss in Dallas on Tuesday. It was still a strong performance but the loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Rittich, who has allowed just seven goals on the last 126 shots (.944 SV%) that he has faced. Rittich is 5-0-1 with a 3.09 GAA and .881 SV% in seven appearances at the Scotiabank Saddledome this year.

Bjugstad took part in the Panthers morning skate but will not play Thursday against Toronto. Bjugstad could potentially return on Saturday, which would force the Panthers to demote a forward.

Duchene has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury but will play Friday vs. the Devils. Duchene has had an outstanding season to date, picking up 12 goals and 22 assists (34 points) in 29 games before getting injured.

Kinkaid was pulled after he allowed five goals on 21 shots in the Devils blowout loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Kinkaid was given last night off, so he will start tonight vs. the Senators. The 29-year-old has gone 2-3-2 with a 3.64 GAA and .878 SV% in December.