Stepan suffered two broken ribs vs. the Bruins and will miss at least one month. Stepan has had an OK start to the season, posting 12 points (6G / 6A) in 23 games. He will be out until early-to-mid January, which will give Kevin Hayes and Oscar Lindberg bigger offensive roles.
Winnik was a healthy scratch in the last two games, but will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Oilers. Winnik will get back in because Joffrey Lupul is out with an undisclosed injury.
McIlrath played well in the two games he was in the lineup, but will come out for Dan Boyle tonight. McIlrath has no points and 24 PIMS in six games this season. It shouldn’t be long until McIlrath gets back into the lineup.
Boyle served as a healthy scratch in the last two games but will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Hurricanes. Boyle has just four assists while averaging 17:44 TOI in 18 games this season. With Boyle back in, Dylan McIlrath will come out.
Price missed nine games with a lower-body injury earlier in November and aggravated the injury in his third game back. Price will miss at lest six weeks, which means he will miss the Winter Classic and will be out until mid-January. If Price misses six weeks he will miss 18 games, which means Mike Condon has big shoes to fill and will have Dustin Tokarski as his backup.
Greiss allowed two goals on 31 shots in the Islanders win in Tampa Bay on Saturday. Tonight, Greiss will be making his sixth start to Jaroslav Halak’s eight in November, showing Greiss’ strong play has earned the coaches trust. This month he is 3-3-0 but has posted a strong 1.96 GAA and .929 SV%. Tonight will be his sixth start on home-ice, he is 2-2-20 with a 2.46 GAA and .919 SV% at the Barclays Center so far.
Orpik was back in practice on Monday, but did not participate in all of the drills. Orpik has missed the last nine games, but could return to the lineup in time for the Capitals’ next game, which isn’t until Thursday. Monitor his status as the week progresses.
Hannikainen, 22, was injured after playing just 6:15 TOI in his NHL debut on Saturday. This is a tough break for Hannikainen, who will be sidelined until early February.
Ward was pulled after he allowed three goals on 14 shots in the Hurricanes’ loss to the Sabres on Friday. Tonight Ward will close out November with his 10th start of the month—he has gone 3-3-3 with a 2.62 GAA and .893 SV% in his first nine starts in November. One of those losses came in New York on November 10th, he allowed three goals on 23 shots in a 3-0 loss.
Johnson has been battling injuries for the last two weeks. Johnson was injured early in last Friday’s game and missed Saturday’s contest. Thankfully for Johnson owners, the Lightning don’t play until Wednesday, but Johnson’s absence from practice puts his status in doubt.
Andersen has missed the last two games with the flu, but was back in net in practice on Sunday. Andersen has been dealing with a fever, that spiked as high as 102 degrees. John Gibson is expected to start again on Monday but Andersen could be aiming to return for Friday’s game home game vs. the Sharks.
Gibson allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Ducks overtime loss to the Blackhawks on Friday. With Frederik Andersen out with the flu, Gibson is expected to make his third straight starting tonight vs. Vancouver. Since being called-up he has gone 1-1-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .918 SV% in two starts and one relief appearance. He draws a good matchup vs. a Vancouver team that has lost six of eight.
Sekac has been sidelined with a sprained ankle since November 1st, but returning to the ice on Monday is a good sign that Sekac is progressing towards a December return.
Lupul missed Sunday’s practice and is expected to be held out of Monday’s contest with an undisclosed injury. The Maple Leafs did not reveal the nature or severity of the injury, but it is not believed to be serious. Expect Daniel Winnik to replace Lupul.
Varlamov allowed three goals on 28 shots in Colorado’s win over Winnipeg on Saturday. Since returning from injury, Varlamov is 2-1-0 with a 2.96 GAA and .891 SV%. It hasn’t exactly been pretty for Varly, but the wins are all that matter to Patrick Roy. Varlamov will start in Brooklyn tonight, he is 2-2-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .927 SV% on the road this season.
Luongo allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Panthers win over the Islanders on Friday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Luongo, who will be making his seventh start on the road this season—in his first six road outings, the 36-year-old netminder is 1-3-2 with a 2.76 GAA and .914 SV%.
Sparks, 22, was the 190th overall pick in 2011, but has transformed himself into a top goalie prospect this season. Through 11 games with the Marlies, he has gone 8-2-1 with a 1.90 GAA and .938 SV%. With James Reimer out and Jonathan Bernier borderline unplayable, Sparks will make his NHL debut tonight vs. the Oilers.
