Ryan has been recalled on a few separate occasions, appearing in five games with the Hurricanes. He has two goals in those games and comes up from Charlotte, where he has 23 goals and 32 assists (55 points) in 70 games.
The Penguins are in need of a forward for the final two games of the season and those games are against two of Pittsburgh’s biggest rivals—in Washington tonight and in Philadelphia on Saturday. So, Sestito comes up to bring some toughness to the lineup.
Taormina is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday with Slater Koekkoek heading back to Syracuse. Taormina has 13 goals and 28 assists (41 points) in 61 AHL games this season. He has 12 points (4G / 8A) in 57 career NHL games with the Devils and Lightning.
Koekkoek played just 12:08 TOI on Tuesday and he swaps places with Matt Taormina, who will take his spot tonight. Koekkoek heads back to Syracuse where he has 15 points (5G / 10A) in 55 games.
What a crazy season for Drouin. He was sent down, didn’t report, got suspended, didn’t get traded and now he’s back with the Lightning. During his time in Syracuse, Drouin collected 11 goals, two assists and a minus-9 rating. With Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan out, the Lightning need some help up front. He has eight points (2G / 6A) in 19 NHL games this season.
Anderson allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Senators win in Minnesota last Thursday. Andrew Hammond started the last two games, but Anderson starts tonight vs. the Panthers. The 34-year-old has gone 1-2-1 with a 2.96 GAA and .895 SV% in his first four starts against Florida this season.
Smith allowed five goals on 26 shots in the Coyotes loss in St. Louis on Monday. Louis Domingue started on Tuesday, but they’ll go back to Smith tonight in Nashville. Smith has gone 5-3-0 with a 1.78 GAA, .946 SV% and two shutouts in eight games since returning to the crease in mid-March. Tonight he faces a Predators team that has lost four of their last five games.
Pavelec allowed one goal on 29 shots in the Jets win over the Wild on Sunday. Michael Hutchinson started on Tuesday, but they’re going back to Pavelec tonight. Pavelec has gone 3-0-2 with a 1.96 GAA, .933 SV% and one shutout in his last five starts. He draws a tough matchup against a Sharks team that has won four of their last five games.
Markstrom stopped 34 of 36 shots in the Canucks win in Anaheim on Friday. The Canucks did not hold a morning skate because of the early start time in Edmonton, but they'll stick with their strict goalie rotation and go with Markstrom tonight. The 26-year-old has gone 1-1-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .948 SV% in two starts against the Oilers this season.
Backstrom allowed five goals on 22 shots after replacing Jones Hiller in the Flames blowout loss in Anaheim on March 30th. In his last two outings his has allowed a combined 11 goals on 51 shots (.784 SV%). Tonight he will face his former team for the second time—the first time was one of those two games, when he allowed six on 29.
Ortio allowed five goals on 26 shots in the Flames loss to the Kings on Tuesday. Ortio has lost three of his last five starts while posting a 2.41 GAA, .909 SV% and one shutout. The Flames have played well on home ice this season, but Ortio is just 3-5-4 with a 3.17 GAA and .884 SV% at the Scotiabank Saddledome this year.
Markstrom stopped 34 of 36 shots in the Canucks win in Anaheim on Friday. The Canucks did not hold a morning skate because of the early start time in Edmonton, but they have stuck with a strict goalie rotation and it’s Markstrom’s shot to start. The 26-year-old has gone 1-1-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .948 SV% in two starts against the Oilers this season.
Schneider allowed two goals on 17 shots in the Devils loss to the Sabres on Tuesday. He has lost each of his first two starts since returning to the crease while stopping 48 of 52 shots (.923 SV%). Tonight he draws a strong season finale matchup against a Maple Leafs team that has lost six of their last eight games.
Kinkaid allowed three goals on 40 shots in the Devils loss in Florida last Thursday. Kinkaid has won four of his last seven starts while posting a 2.90 GAA, .913 SV% and one shutout. Tonight he faces a banged up Lightning team that has dropped four of their last six games while averaging just 2.00 goals per game.
