Smith stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Flames win over the Canucks on Saturday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Smith, who will start his 27th game of the season tonight in Minnesota. In his first start against the Wild, Smith stopped 28 of 31 shots in a 4-2 loss in late-October.
Howard allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Red Wings’ overtime loss to the Panthers on Monday. After brutal outing vs. the Blues, it was a nice bounce-back game for Howard but he has just one win since mid-November. With the Red Wings running ice-cold and the Bruins in town as winners of eight of their last 10, leave Howard on the bench tonight.
Khudobin was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots in the Bruins loss in Nashville. With Tuukka Rask playing great again, Khudobin will likely see limited starts for the foreseeable future but will get the nod tonight vs. the Capitals. Khudobin has gone 3-0-1 with a 2.97 GAA and .906 SV% on home ice this season.
Rask stopped 30 of 31 shots in the Bruins win over the Islanders last Saturday. Rask has won each of his last four starts and played well in relief last Monday—he has a 1.10 GAA, .955 SV% and one shutout in those five appearances. Tonight he looks to keep things rolling against a Red Wings team that has gone 1-5-4 in their last 10 games.
Brossoit stopped 22 of 23 shots in the Oilers loss in Toronto on Sunday. After some really rough starts, Brossoit played great over the weekend, stopping 44 of the 47 shots (.936 SV%) that he faced to go 1-1-0. Tonight he will be in tough in Columbus—the Blue Jackets are 6-1-0 in their last seven games on home ice.
Allen stopped 22 of the 24 shots that he faced in the Blues win over the Sabres on Sunday. Allen won both games of the Blues back-to-back over the weekend, extending his winning streak to four games while posting a 1.50 GAA, .944 SV% and one shutout. He’s got a stiff test on his hands tonight as he goes up against a Lightning team that not only leads the NHL in scoring but come in on a four-game winning streak of their own.
Crawford stopped 31 of 32 shots in the Blackhawks win over the Coyotes on Sunday. Crawford has won both of his starts since returning from injury, stopping 57 of 60 shots (.950 SV%). In his first start against the Panthers this season, Crawford stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 4-1 win in Florida.
Dubnyk allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Wild’s win in Anaheim last Friday. Darcy Kuemper gave him a breather on Sunday, so Dubnyk will be well rested coming into tonight’s meeting with the Flames. Dubnyk has won three of his last four starts while posting a 2.22 GAA and .930 SV%.
Andersen allowed three goals on 36 shots in the Maple Leafs win in Pittsburgh on Saturday. After getting the night off on Sunday, Andersen will be back between the pipes tonight in Philadelphia. Andersen rides into Tuesday having won five of his last six starts while posting a 2.48 GAA and .932 SV%.
Allen stopped 22 of the 24 shots that he faced in the Blues win over the Sabres on Sunday. Allen won both games of the Blues back-to-back over the weekend, extending his winning streak to four games while posting a 1.50 GAA, .944 SV% and one shutout. He’s got a stiff test on his hands tonight as he goes up against a Lightning team that not only leads the NHL in scoring but come in on a four-game winning streak of their own.
Holtby was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the Capitals’ loss in Brooklyn last night. The Capitals likely pulled Holtby to ensure he would be fresh for tonight’s game vs. the Avalanche. The 28-year-old has gone 10-4-0 with a 2.07 GAA and .936 SV% on home ice this season.
Ward allowed five goals on 33 shots in the Hurricanes loss in San Jose last Thursday. With Scott Darling starting last night’s loss, Ward is expected to go tonight in Vegas. Ward is 2-1-1 with a 3.52 GAA and .898 SV% on the road this season.
Palmieri was on the ice for the Devils’ morning skate today but will not play against the Kings. Palmieri also will not travel to Montreal for Thursday’s game, so monitor his status prior to Friday’s game vs. the Stars.
