Nielsen missed Thursday's practice with a stomach bug and is questionable to play Saturday in Philadelphia. Tyler Bertuzzi will return after a seven-game absence and will replace Nielsen if he can't play.
Bertuzzi has missed the last seven games with a concussion but will play Saturday in Philadelphia. Bertuzzi could replace Frans Nielsen, who is questionable due to an illness. Bertuzzi has 13 goals and 15 assists (28 points) in 49 games this season.
Kulikov has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury but is set to return to the lineup on Saturday. Kulikov will replace Joe Morrow, who is out for 2-3 weeks.
Morrow was forced to leave Thursday’s game vs. the Avalanche and will miss 2-3 weeks. Dmitry Kulikov is back to 100 percent and will replace Morrow on Saturday.
Bunting was placed on IR on Thursday and heads back to Tucson, where he has 26 points (11G / 15A) in 29 games this season. The former fourth round pick has one goal in five games with the Coyotes this year.
Schultz continues to skate with the Penguins in practice but his status for Saturday’s game remains up in the air. Schultz has been out since October 13th but his return can’t come soon enough, with Olli Maatta out indefinitely.
Dubinsky has been out since February 2nd and has been placed on IR to open up a roster spot. Dubinsky remains “day-to-day” but the Blue Jackets have not indicated when they expect him back.
Bogosian missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but will return to the lineup against the Rangers. Bogosian has 13 points (2G / 11A), a minus-3 rating and 42 PIMS in 49 games this season.
Mittelstadt will miss his second straight game but skated the last two days, which suggests that he won’t be out long. Evan Rodrigues will remain on the Sabres second line.
Terry has spent most of his season with San Diego, where he is second on the team with 41 points (16G / 25A) in 41 games. The 21-year-old hasn’t had the same success in the NHL, scoring once with one assist in 10 games.
Dubnyk surrendered five goals on 26 shots in the Wild’s loss to the Flyers on Tuesday. February has been a rough month for Dubnyk, who has gone 1-4-1 with a 3.00 GAA and .894 SV% in six games. He draws a great matchup against a Devils team that has lost five of their last six and played last night in Chicago.
McElhinney allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Hurricanes win in Ottawa on Tuesday. Since returning from injury, McElhinney has won three in a row while allowing just six goals on 88 shots (.932 SV%). The 35-year-old netminder comes into Friday’s game vs. the Oilers at 7-2-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .927 SV% on home-ice this season.
Ullmark stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Sabres win over the Islanders on Tuesday. Ullmark has won three of his last four starts while posting a 2.91 GAA and .907 SV%. Tonight he will face the Rangers at KeyBank Centre where he has gone 7-2-2 with a 3.21 GAA, .901 SV% and one shutout.
McElhinney allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Hurricanes win in Ottawa on Tuesday. Since returning from injury, McElhinney has won three in a row while allowing just six goals on 88 shots (.932 SV%). The 35-year-old netminder comes into Friday’s game vs. the Oilers at 7-2-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .927 SV% on home-ice this season.
Koskinen allowed two goals on 33 shots in the Oilers loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Koskinen has not registered a win since January 16th, going 0-4-1 with a 3.80 GAA and .871 SV% in six appearances since then. Koskinen replaced Cam Talbot in a 7-4 loss in their first game vs. Carolina—he allowed three goals on 18 shots.
Rask allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Bruins win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. Rask and Jaroslav Halak have been alternating games recently, so tonight will be just his fifth start in February. Rask has won four in a row while posting a 1.98 GAA, .926 SV% and one shutout.He is a must-start against a Kings team that has lost three straight and sit dead last in the Western Conference.
Halak allowed one goal on 36 shots in the Bruins win over the Avalanche on Sunday. It was Halak’s first win since January 3rd and moved him to 14-9-4 with a 2.44 GAA and .921 SV% in 29 appearances this season. He stopped 24 of 25 shots in a win in his first start against the Ducks and is a must-start in their second meeting of the season.
Quick surrendered six goals on 31 shots in the Kings loss in Washington on Monday. Quick has lost back-to-back games while allowing a combine 11 goals on 64 shots (.828 SV%). Quick has not faced the Canucks yet this season but has gone 7-7-1 with a 2.72 GAA, .910 SV% and two shutouts in 15 games on home-ice.
