Crawford underwent an appendectomy on December 3rd and was given a two-to-three week timetable, so he could return next week and should definitely be available after the Christmas break. Scott Darling has played very well in Crawford’s absence, so there’s no need to rush Crawford back.
Holtby allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Capitals’ win in Brooklyn on Tuesday. With Philipp Grubauer starting last night, Holtby is expected to start tonight vs. the Canadiens. Holtby has won his last four starts while posting a 1.72 GAA, .939 SV% and one shutout. He’ll face Montreal on home-ice, where he has gone 9-4-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .921 SV% this season.
Couture left Wednesday’s game after being cross-checked in the head/neck area by Senators’ forward Mike Hoffman. Couture was on the ice for the morning skate and will centre the second line with Mikkel Boedker and Kevin Labanc on his wings.
Ward has collected just two goals in 30 games this season and has not scored since November 23rd. Ward will be replaced by Timo Meier, who will be making his NHL debut.
Grubauer stopped 27 of 28 shots in the Capitals’ win in Buffalo last Friday. Grubauer continues to start on back-to-backs and will go tonight in Carolina. Grubauer has gone 4-1-1 with a 1.67 GAA and .940 SV% in his six starts this season. His regulation loss came against these Hurricanes—he allowed four goals on 37 shots in a 5-1 loss in mid-November.
Jones allowed three goals on 31 shots in the Sharks’ win in Ottawa on Wednesday. After a tough start to the season on the road, Jones has won the first two games of their current road-trip while stopping 57 of 62 shots (.919 SV%). Tonight will be his second start vs. Montreal—he stopped 31 of 32 shots in a 2-1 win on December 2nd.
Murray allowed three goals on 44 shots in the Penguins’ win over the Bruins on Wednesday. Murray has won five consecutive games while posting a 1.75 GAA, .945 SV% and one shutout. Since his season debut, Murray is tied for second in the NHL in wins (12), fourth in SV% (.935) and fifth in GAA (1.93).
Lehner allowed three goals on 33 shots in the Sabres’ win over the Kings on Tuesday. The win was his first of December, as he now sits at 1-2-1 with a 2.75 GAA and .913 SV% this month. Tonight he faces an Islanders team that has lost three in a row while being outscored 15-8. Lehner comes in at 2-5-2 with a 2.43 GAA and .918 SV% at home.
Ward was pulled after he allowed three goals on 18 shots in the Hurricanes’ eventual 8-6 win over the Canucks on Tuesday. Ward has gone 2-1-2 with a 2.51 GAA and .914 SV% in the month of December. Tonight he draws a tough matchup vs. the Capitals for the second time this season—he stopped 20 of 21 shots in a 5-1 win in the first meeting.
Berube has sat as the Islanders’ third goalie all season, only appearing in one game, stopping the only shot that he has faced. Berube has gone 3-2-1 with a 2.71 with a .914 SV% in six career starts. Tonight he will take on the Sabres, who have gone 4-2-1 while averaging 3.29 goals per game since Jack Eichel returned to the lineup.
Niemi allowed two goals on 36 shots in the Stars’ win over the Ducks on Tuesday. It was a great game for Niemi, who has had a rough 2016-17 season. As difficult of a season as it has been, Niemi has been great on home-ice. He enters tonight’s game vs. the Rangers with a 6-1-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .938 SV% at American Airlines Center this season.
Zatkoff allowed one goal on three shots after replacing Peter Budaj in the Kings’ loss in Buffalo on Tuesday. Zatkoff has struggled this season and has gone 1-5-0 with a 3.20 GAA and .882 SV%. Zatkoff has had a rough season, but he draws a good matchup vs. the Red Wings. The Detroit native has gone 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA ad .953 SV% in two career starts vs. the Red Wings.
Bernier allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Ducks’ win over the Sharks last Friday. He also appeared in Tuesday’s game, stopping both shots that he faced after replacing John Gibson. Bernier has gone 2-2-0 with a 3.52 GAA and .883 SV% in two starts on the road this season and tonight he faces a Bruins team that has lost four of their last five.
Dubnyk allowed one goal on 30 shots in Minnesota’s win over the Panthers on Tuesday. The 30-year-old netminder has won five in a row while allowing just seven goals on 146 shots (.952 SV%). Tonight will be his first start vs. the Predators and he comes in at 5-3-3 with a 1.70 GAA and.949 SV% on the road this season.
Meier, 20, was the ninth overall pick in 2015 and has played great in his first professional season. In 17 games with the San Jose Barracuda, Meier has collected nine goals and six assists (15 points). Last year he had an absurd 34 goals and 53 assists (87 points) in just 52 QMJHL games, which showcases his high offensive ability. He is worth an add in keeper leagues because he could play in the top-6 immediately.
Pickard gave up four goals on 25 shots in Colorado’s loss to the Flyers on Wednesday. With Semyon Varlamov still out, Pickard will start vs. the Panthers. He has allowed a combined eight goals on 45 shots (.822 SV%) in his last two appearances. The Panthers come into Friday on the tail-end of a back-to-back and they’ve lost six of their last seven (1-3-3).
Letang suffered a lower-body injury during the Penguins’ overtime win over the Bruins on Wednesday. Letang is expected to miss at least the next five games and another injury report will likely be issued after the Christmas break.
McDonagh was a late scratch on Tuesday, but will return to the lineup tonight in Dallas. McDonagh has an assist in three straight games and 17 points (1G / 16A) in 30 games this season. Expect Adam Clendening to sit.
