Kari Lehtonen started Thursday in Calgary, so Antti Niemi could start tonight in Edmonton. Niemi has 12 wins in 16 career starts against the Oilers, but we will not know who their starting goalie is until they hit the ice for warmups at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Holtby gave up two goals on 22 shots in the Capitals’ loss to the Sharks on Tuesday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Holtby, who will make his sixth straight start tonight in Chicago. The 27-year-old will be making his fifth start on the road—he has gone 3-1-1 with a 2.17 GAA and .929 SV% in the first five road outings.
Holtby gave up two goals on 22 shots in the Capitals’ loss to the Sharks on Tuesday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Holtby, who will make his sixth straight start tonight in Chicago. The 27-year-old will be making his fifth start on the road—he has gone 3-1-1 with a 2.17 GAA and .929 SV% in the first five road outings.
Anisimov was listed as questionable for tonight's game, but his absence from the morning skate made it clear that Anisimov wouldn't be in the lineup tonight. With Anisimov out, Marcus Kruger skated in the top-6 and Vince Hinostroza will draw into the lineup.
Di Giuseppe, 23, has failed to pick up a point in 11 games with Carolina this season, so he heads back to Charlotte to work on his game. The former second round pick (38th overall in 2012) had 18 points (8G / 10A) in 25 AHL games a season ago.
Faulk was listed as week-to-week, so his movement to IR creates a roster to recall a defenseman from Charlotte (AHL). Faulk will likely miss at least two weeks.
Mason allowed two goals on 35 shots in the Flyers’ shootout loss to the Red Wings on Tuesday. Despite the loss, it was a strong outing for Mason, who has had a difficult first month. Tonight he will face a high-scoring Maple Leafs team in Toronto. Mason is 0-2-1 with a 3.09 GAA and .897 SV% in two starts and one relief appearance on the road.
Anderson allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Senators’ loss in Nashville on Tuesday. Mike Condon started on Wednesday, so they’ll come back to Anderson tonight vs. the Kings. Anderson has gone 3-2-0 with a 1.20 GAA, .961 SV% and two shutouts in his last five starts. Los Angeles has gone 3-1-0 while averaging 4.00 goals per game in their last four.
Neil missed Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury, but he will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Kings. Neil has one goal and 18 penalty minutes in 12 games this season.
O’Reilly missed Wednesday’s game vs. the Senators, but was on the ice for the gameday skate and it looks like he will return to the lineup tonight vs. the Devils. O’Reilly has eight points (4G / 4A) in 12 games this season.
Athanasiou is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a sprained knee, so his move to IR is just a formality to create room for Anthony Mantha to be recalled from Grand Rapids.
Mantha, 22, has been off to a great start in Grand Rapids, scoring eight goals with two assists (10 points) in the first 10 games of the season. In 10 NHL games a season ago, Mantha collected two goals and one assist. He has been recalled because Andreas Athanasiou has been placed on IR with a lower-body injury. Mantha should make his season debut on Saturday.
Hannkainen, 23, did not appear in a game during his call-up. Hannkainen returns to Cleveland, where he has seven points (3G / 4A) in 11 games this season.
Milano failed to record a point in two games during his call-up. His return to Cleveland, where he has one goal in four games, suggests that Brandon Dubinsky will be back in the lineup on Saturday.
Kuraly, 23, has two assists in 10 games with Providence, but failed to record a point in his NHL debut last week. Kuraly has been recalled to serve as an extra forward during the Bruins’ upcoming road-trip.
Falk, 28, has not picked up a point in nine games with Rochester, but will replace Dmitry Kulikov in the lineup on Friday. Kulikov is dealing with an undisclosed injury, so Falk will make his Sabres debut. He has 23 points (2G / 21A) in 171 career NHL games.
Kulikov missed Thursday’s practice, Friday’s morning skate and will be replaced by Justin Falk in the lineup on Friday. There is no word on how serious the injury is, so consider Kulikov as day-to-day until more information is released.
Athanasiou was hurt in the Red Wings’ win vs. the Canucks on Thursday. Athanasiou, who had arguable his best game as a Red Wing on Tuesday, will miss the next 1-2 weeks, which means he will likely land on IR and another prospect will be recalled from Grand Rapids (AHL).
Eichel is nearly four weeks into a 6-8 week timetable, but his return to the ice on Thursday is a great sign that he is recovering on schedule. It appears as if Eichel is on-pace to return to the lineup in late November/early-December. Monitor Eichel’s progression over the next few weeks.
Varlamov allowed five goals on 25 shots in Colorado’s loss in St. Louis on Sunday. Calvin Pickard started on Tuesday, but Varly will go tonight vs. the Jets. The veteran netminder has struggled recently, losing his last five starts while posting a 4.32 GAA and .858 SV%. Varlamov is a risky option on Friday, with the Jets in town—they’re tied for eighth in the NHL in scoring (3.00 G/PG).
