Ellis left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and did not skate this morning, so do not expect to see him suit up tonight. The Predators have recalled Stefan Elliott from Milwaukee (AHL) to take Ellis’ spot in the lineup.
Vey missed Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury, but will return tonight in San Jose. Vey has just one assist in his last 10 games and 15 points (4G / 11A) in 39 games this season.
Tanev has missed the last six games with a back injury, but will return tonight in San Jose. Tanev has collected 17 points (4G / 13A) with a minus-5 rating in 63 games this season.
Varlamov allowed three goals on 27 shots in Colorado’s loss in St. Louis on Tuesday. Varlamov has lost three of his last four starts while posting a 3.10 GAA and .914 SV% and will be in tough again tonight with the Capitals in town. Washington is the NHL’s top team, but Varlamov has had some success against his former team—2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA and .965 SV% in three career starts.
Czarnik, 23, was recalled on Wednesday but was sent back down this afternoon without getting the chance to make his NHL debut. He has 52 points (15G / 37A) in 59 games this season.
Duchene missed the last six games with a knee injury, but returned to practice on Thursday and will return to the lineup on Friday. Duchene has 29 goals and 27 assists (56 points) in 71 games this season.
Miller gave up three goals on 32 shots in the Canucks loss to the Blackhawks on Sunday. Miller has lost four consecutive games and is now 1-5-1 with a 2.74 GAA and .921 SV% in March. He has gone 0-2-0 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 SV% in his first two starts against the San Jose Sharks.
Ward missed Tuesday’s game in Vancouver, but he will return tonight. There is no indication what was ailing Ward, but it obviously wasn’t serious. Ward has 21 goals and 21 assists (42 points) in 74 games this season.
Anisimov missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, but will be back between Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane on Friday. Anisimov has 19 goals and 19 assists (38 points) in 74 games this season.
Seabrook missed Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but will return to the lineup on Friday. With Duncan Keith likely to be suspended, Seabrook will be leaned on heavily at even strength and will likely anchor the top power-play unit.
Hossa missed Thursday’s practice and will be held out of the lineup in Winnipeg on Friday. With Hossa out, Tomas Fleischmann will skate on the top line. Hossa is day-to-day and questionable to return on Sunday.
Rinne gave up three goals on 23 shots in the Predators loss in Dallas on Tuesday. After winning five in a row, Rinne has struggled in his last two outings, allowing a combined six goals on 33 shots (.818 SV%). He draws a tough assignment tonight in Pittsburgh—the Penguins have won nine of their last 10 and Rinne is 12-11-5 with a 2.65 GAA and .904 SV% on the road.
Darling allowed three goals on just 17 shots in the Blackhawks loss in Minnesota on Tuesday. With Corey Crawford out, Darling will make his eighth consecutive start tonight—he has gone 3-3-1 with a 2.36 GAA, .918 SV% and one shutout in his previous seven starts. He draws a strong matchup against a Jets team that has lost six of their last eight contests.
Jones gave up two goals on 32 shots in the Sharks win over the Kings on Monday. Jones has gone 5-4-0 with a 1.79 GAA and .932 SV% in March and tonight’s start will be his third against the Canucks—he has gone 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .944 SV% in the first two meetings.
Greiss stopped one goal on 27 shots in the Islanders win over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Greiss, who is 4-5-1 with a 2.77 GAA and .912 SV% in March. He draws a strong matchup against a Blue Jackets team that has lost seven of their last nine games while averaging just 1.78 goals per game.
Fabbri suffered and ankle injury in Tuesday’s win over the Avalanche, but it doesn’t sound like it is very serious. He will miss the next few games, but is expected to be back before the end of the regular season.
Elliott stopped 20 of 21 shots in the Blues win over the Avalanche on Tuesday. Yeah, he actually allowed a goal. Since returning to the crease on March 19th, Elliott has gone 4-0-0 with a 0.25 GAA, .989 SV% and three shutouts. He draws a strong matchup against a Bruins team that has lost five of their last six while averaging just 1.67 goals per game.
Seidenberg is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will miss the Bruins’ two-game road trip to St. Louis and Chicago. With Seidenberg out, look for Zach Trotman to get back in the Bruins lineup.
Connolly suffered a lower-body injury in the Bruins loss in New Jersey on Tuesday. He has missed three of the last five games and only averaged 4:01 TOI in the two games he has appeared in. He will miss the Bruins’ two-game trip to St. Louis and Chicago.
