Smith scored one goal in 8:20 TOI before leaving the game with an upper-body injury. With Smith banged up, the Senators have recalled Casey Bailey from Binghamton (AHL), in case the 28-year-old can’t play on Thursday.
Bailey, 25, has no points in the two NHL games that he has appeared in this season. During his time with Binghamton, Bailey has 14 points (9G / 5A) in 28 games. Expect him to replace Zack Smith on Thursday if Smith is unable to go.
Andersen allowed one goal on 32 shots in the Maple Leafs’ win in Arizona before the break. Andersen will start the first game of a back-to-back tonight in Florida, but is expected to get tomorrow night off. Andersen has won three of his last four starts while posting a 1.26 GAA and .962 SV%. Andersen is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .948 SV% vs. the Panthers this season.
Palat has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury, but is expected to face the Canadiens tonight. Palat has had a tough season, posting just 13 points (4G / 9A) in 30 games. He will skate with some familiar linemates—Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, who will also return to the lineup tonight.
Kucherov has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury, but returned to practice on Tuesday, was on the ice for Wednesday’s morning skate and is expected to play vs. the Canadiens. Kucherov is arguably the Lightning’s most important player, so his return is key. Kucherov returns with 30 points (13G / 17A) in 28 games this season.
Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 24 shots in the Lightning’s loss in Washington last Friday. Despite a tough outing, the Lightning will go back to Vasilevskiy tonight vs. the Canadiens. Overall he is 2-3-0 with a 3.62 GAA and .878 SV% in December, but has gone 5-1-1 with a 2.23 GAA and .928 SV% on home-ice this season.
Dumoulin left Tuesday's game after being hit in the face by a slapshot. Dumoulin will undergo surgery to repair a broken jaw and is expected to miss at least one month. With Dumoulin not available for Wednesday's game, the Penguins are hoping that Olli Maatta (illness) will return this evening.
Luongo allowed three goals on 39 shots in the Panthers’ shootout loss to the Red Wings last Friday. Luongo has lost three of his last four starts while posting a 3.47 GA and .887 SV%. Bobby Lu has gone 3-3-3 across nine December starts and tonight he faces the Maple Leafs for the second time—he allowed three goals on 28 shots in a 3-2 loss in the first meeting.
Ward allowed two goals on 33 shots in the Hurricanes’ win over the Bruins last Friday. Ward won his final three games before the Christmas break while posting a 1.28 GAA and .950 SV%. Ward has played very well in December, posting a .922 SV% across 10 starts, but he will be in tough tonight in Pittsburgh.
Peca, 23, was a seventh round pick (201st overall) in 2011 and is expected to make his NHL debut on Wednesday. Peca has registered 17 points (5G / 12A) in 28 games with Syracuse this season. Peca is skating with Michael Bournival and J.T. Brown at the Lightning morning skate.
Hansen missed the Canucks final game before the Christmas break and will miss at least one month with a knee injury that he suffered last Thursday. Hansen previously missed 16 games this season and the injury bug has bit the Canucks’ top-line winger yet again.
Johnston, 24, has picked up one goal and six assists (seven points) in 23 games with St. John’s this season. Andrei Markov will miss the Canadiens’ three-game road-trip before the New Year, so Johnston will travel with the team, but will likely serve as an extra defenseman.
Markov missed the final three games before the Christmas break and will miss the three games before the New Year. With Markov out, the Canadiens have recalled Ryan Johnston from St. John’s to serve as an extra defenseman during their road-trip.
Neuvirth has missed the last 20 games with a knee injury, but was back at practice on Tuesday. Neuvirth will likely need a few practice sessions before he returns in a backup role. Steve Mason has played very well since Neuvirth went down, which will likely limit Neuvirth’s fantasy value going forward.
Leier has just one goal and one assist in eight games since being called-up, but has averaged just 8:28 TOI per game. On Wednesday, it looks like he will get a bigger opportunity as he skated with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek during Tuesday’s practice.
Couturier has missed the last 16 games because of an MCL sprain, but it looks like he will be back in the lineup on Wednesday. The Flyers’ two-way centre is expected to slide back into his spot on the second line and comes into play with eight points (5G / 3A) in 20 games this season. Monitor Couturier’s status during the morning skate.
Miller allowed four goals on 25 shots in the Canucks’ loss to the Jets last Thursday. Miller has lost three of his last four starts while posting an ugly 4.24 GAA and .850 SV%. Jacob Markstrom has played much better as of late, but Miller is expected to go tonight vs. the Kings. The veteran is 5-4-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .908 SV% on home-ice.
Mason was pulled after he allowed two goals on eight shots in the Flyers’ loss in New Jersey last Thursday. Mason has dropped three of his last four starts despite posting a strong 2.01 GAA and .933 SV%. The losses can’t be pinned on Mason, who has had an excellent month, posting a 8-2-1 record, 2.27 GAA and .923 SV% in December.
Montoya allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Canadiens’ loss in Columbus last Friday. It was a better performance than his first start in Columbus, but still got stuck with the loss. He gets the nod in Florida tonight and if you take out that 10-goal game in Columbus, Montoya is 2-3-2 with a 2.41 GAA and .917 SV% on the road.
Price allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Canadiens’ loss to Minnesota last Thursday. He was given Friday night off, but will be back in goal tonight in Tampa Bay. Price has been OK in December, going 5-3-1 with a 2.34 GAA and .902 SV%. He faced the Lightning back in October and stopped 30 of 31 shots in a 3-1 win.
