Talbot allowed three goals on 35 shots in the Oilers win in Calgary on Friday. Talbot has won each of his first two starts of the season, despite allowing a combined seven goals on 76 shots (.908 SV%). Nonetheless, it has been nice start for Talbot and the Oilers, who draw a nice matchup tonight as there go up against a banged up Sabres team.
Cam Ward started the Hurricanes’ season opener on Thursday, but they will turn to Lack in game No.2 in Vancouver. Lack spent the first two years of his career with the Canucks, so tonight will be a homecoming of sorts. He faced his former team once last year and allowed three goals on 21 shots in a losing effort.
Gibson allowed four goals on 20 shots in the Ducks’ season opening loss. Jonathan Bernier started last night in Pittsburgh, so look for Gibson to go tonight vs. the Islanders. The Ducks are off to an ugly 0-2-0 start to the season, but so are the Isles, so something has to give tonight. Gibson was 4-8-2 with a 2.74 GAA and .896 SV% vs. the Eastern Conference last season.
Niemi allowed two goals on 35 shots in the Stars’ season opening win over the Ducks. It was a superb outing for Niemi, who will look to improve on a rough 2015-16 season. As long as Niemi is playing well, the Stars should ride him like a No.1 goalie. They will give him a second straight start at the very least as he takes on an Avalanche team he was 1-2-0 with a 4.05 GAA and .821 SV% against last year.
Despite morning skate reports that Tuukka Rask would start tonight vs. the Maple Leafs, Khudobin led the Bruins onto the ice for warmups and will get the start vs. Toronto. Head coach Claude Julien said he did not want Khudobin sitting for too long. Khudobin was 3-3-0 with a 2.69 GAA and .909 SV% in seven starts and two relief appearances with the Ducks last season before being sent to the AHL.
Corey Crawford started the first two games of the season for the Blackhawks, losing both, so they will turn to Darling on the tail-end of a back-to-back with the Predators. Darling was 12-8-4 with a 2.58 GAA and .915 SV% last year, including a 6-2-2 record on home ice.
Kulak, 22, sat out of the first two games of the season, but will be in the lineup for Dennis Wideman on Saturday. Kulak had 17 points (3G / 14A) in 59 games with Stockton (AHL) a season ago. He has no points in nine career NHL games.
WIdeman had one goal and six shots while averaging 19:56 though the first two games of the season. There is no word on if Wideman is battling an injury or if he is a healthy scratch, but he will come out of the lineup regardless. Brett Kulak will take his spot in the lineup.
Brian Elliott had a miserable start to his Flames career, so they will turn to Johnson tonight in their third game in four nights. Johnson was 22-16-4 with a 2.36 GAA and .920 SV% in 40 starts and five relief appearances with the Sabres last year. He is one of the more capable backups in the NHL and should step in nicely for Elliott. He draws a strong debut matchup vs. the Canucks.
Fleury was outstanding in the Penguins’ season opener, stopping 39 of 41 shots in a shootout win over the Capitals. With Matt Murray sidelined, Fleury is getting a chance to re-solidify himself as the Penguins’ No.1 option. He will get another chance tonight with a sub-par Ducks team coming to town. Fleury was 12-9-2 with a 2.49 GAA and .919 SV% vs. the Western Conference last year.
Miller will get the first crack in the Canucks’ crease this season, but will likely be pushed by Jacob Markstrom all season long. The 36-year-old was 17-24-0 with a 2.70 GAA and .916 SV% a season ago and will probably find it tough to rack up wins this season. Vancouver doesn’t have the look of a playoff team and will make things difficult on their goaltenders more often than not. Tonight he faces a Flames team that he was 1-2-1 with a 3.24 GAA and .906 SV% against last year.
The Coyotes are one of the last teams to get their 2016-17 season underway, but it will start tonight vs. a Flyers team on the tail-end of a back-to-back. To no one’s surprise, Smith will start their season opener and he is hoping for a much healthy season this year. Smith was limited to 32 starts last year and went 15-13-2 with a 2.63 GAA and .916 SV%.
Niemi allowed two goals on 35 shots in the Stars’ season opening win over the Ducks. It was a superb outing for Niemi, who will look to improve on a rough 2015-16 season. As long as Niemi is playing well, the Stars should ride him like a No.1 goalie. They will give him a second straight start at the very least as he takes on an Avalanche team he was 1-2-0 with a 4.05 GAA and .821 SV% against last year.
Meier was injured in the Sharks’ preseason and wasn’t expected to be ready until the end of October. He will probably get up-to-speed with the Barracuda before he is recalled by the Sharks.
McGinn was questionable leading up to Saturday’s season opener, so it isn’t surprising to see him scratched tonight. McGinn remains day-to-day and is questionable to travel on the Coyotes’ upcoming road trip.
Bitetto suffered an upper-body injury in the Predators’ win over the Blackhawks on Friday. With Bitetto listed as day-to-day, Yannick Weber will get into the lineup on Saturday.
Hartman cracked the Blackhawks’ opening night roster, but only lasted four periods before getting hurt in Friday’s loss to the Predators. Look for Dennis Rasmussen to be in the lineup on Saturday.
Lundqvist allowed three goals on 28 shots in the Rangers’ win over the Islanders on Thursday. It wasn’t Lundqvist’s best performance ever, but the offence did enough in front of him to earn victory No.1 on the new season. Tonight, King Henrik draws a tough assignment as he takes on the Blues on the road. St. Louis has won their first two games while averaging 4.00 goals per game.
Pekka Rinne started last night and because the Predators will not hold a morning skate, there is no word whether they will go back to Rinne or give Marek Mazanec his first start of the season. The Predators likely won’t announce a starter, so don’t expect to find out until warmups start at 8:00pm ET.
