Mitchell left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury and will not play on Friday vs. the Islanders. With Mitchell not playing, look for Alex Semin to get back into the lineup.
Tokarski allowed two goals on 13 shots after replacing Mike Condon in the Canadiens’ loss to the Avalanche last Saturday. That was the the only action he saw during his call-up but with Carey Price back in the crease on Friday, Tokarski heads back to St. John’s.
Price has been out since November 1st, but he will finally to make his return to the crease on Friday. Price has been great this season, winning seven of his nine starts while posting a rock solid 2.01 GAA and .936 SV%. Whenever Price gets the nod, he is a strong option but he draws a fairly tough matchup vs. an Islanders team that is eighth in the NHL in scoring.
Callahan was listed as a game-time decision but is not on the ice for warmups, so that means that Joel Vermin will make his NHL debut.
Orpik will miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body ailment. With the Capitals on a back-to-back it isn't surprising to see Orpik sit out tonight after not playing last night in Detroit.
Grubauer allowed three goals on 29 shots in the Capitals loss to the Flames last Friday. It was his first loss of the season and he now sits 2-1-0 with a 2.59 GAA and .899 SV% in three games. Grubauer is a solid-spot start option with the right matchup, but that is not what he has tonight with the Stars in town.
Lehtonen allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Stars win over the Wild last Saturday. Lehtonen has won five straight games while posting a great 1.98 GAA and .935 SV%. Overall, Lehtonen has been excellent this season, going 8-1-0 with a 2.38 GAA and .921 SV%. No matter how good Lehtonen has been, tonight’s matchup is not a favourable one.
Smith allowed five goals on 21 shots in the Coyotes loss in Columbus last Saturday. Anders Lindback started on Monday, so look for Smith to go tonight in Montreal. Smith is 3-2-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .899 SV% in five starts in November. Smith draws a terrible matchup vs. the 14-3-2 Montreal Canadiens. Smith is 4-3-1 with a 2.88 GAA and .904 SV% on the road.
Olofsson, 20, was a second round pick (46th overall) in 2013. The 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. blueliner bad three assists in 17 games with Iowa before being recalled.
Ramo allowed two goals on 20 shots in the Flames 3-2 win over the Devils on Tuesday. Ramo has played well enough for the Flames to continue to roll him out night in and night out. Despite getting consistent playing time, Ramo still is not a great fantasy option. He draws a terrible matchup tonight with the Blackhawks in town.
Howard allowed three goals on 25 shots in the Red Wings OT win in Ottawa on Monday. Petr Mrazek started the last two games, including last night, so they will go with Howard tonight in St. Louis. He draws a tough matchup vs. a tough Blues team, but St. Louis comes in having lost three of their last five.
Mrazek stopped 25 of 27 shots in the Red Wings’ OT loss to the Capitals on Wednesday. It was another strong outing for Mrazek, but he is getting all too familiar with seeing his mates struggle offensively. Tonight he will make his 11th start of the season and he comes in with a 5-4-1 record, 2.16 GAA and .934 SV%. He has a tough task on Friday with the Kings in town—they’ve won three in a row and sit 12-6-0 on the year.
Pysyk will take a seat on Thursday because of an upper-body injury. With Pysyk out, Carlo Colaiacovo will be back in the lineup.
Kane has been out since October 24th but it looks like he will be back tonight vs. the Blues. Kane had one goal and two assists in eight games with the Sabres and it looks like he will skate on the Sabres’ second line with Jack Eichel and Tyler Ennis.
Dubnyk allowed four goals on 29 shots in the Wild’s loss in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Dubnyk has lost each of his last two starts while allowing a combined seven goals. Dubnyk has gone 3-2-1 with a 2.48 GAA and .920 SV% in November. He draws a strong matchup vs. the Bruins, who have lost five of their last seven.
Berra was pulled after allowing four goals on 26 shots in Colorado’s loss in Toronto on Tuesday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Berra, who looks to start his sixth straight game tonight in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have struggled to an 11-7-0 record through 18 games, but it is still a risky matchup for Berra.
Ullmark allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Sabres loss to Dallas on Tuesday. After a tough NHL debut, Ullmark has gone 4-2-0 with a 2.07 GAA and .936 SV%. This is a rough road matchup for Ullmark, who will take on a Blues team that is 5-2-1 at home this season.
Richards has been out since October 21st with a back injury, but appears to be in line to play on Friday. Richards, who had two assists in his first six games with the Red Wings, skated on the second line with Pavel Datsyuk and Teemu Pulkkinen, whites a nice fantasy setup for the veteran.
Bishop gave up four goals on 23 shots in the Lightning’s loss to the Panthers on Saturday. Andrei Vasilevskiy started on Monday, but it looks like Bishop will go tonight vs. the Rangers. Bishop has gone 1-5-1 despite posting a 1.86 GAA and .932 SV% in his last seven games. Bishop will be tough tonight vs. a Rangers team that has won nine consecutive games.
Anderson was yanked after allowing three goals on 10 shots in the Ducks loss in Nashville on Tuesday. After winning his first three starts in November, Andersen has now dropped his last three games while posting an ugly 4.44 GAA and .831 SV%. Tonight he will take on the Panthers for the second time this season—he stopped 23 of 25 in a 3-2 shootout win in their first meeting.
