Scandella has missed the last two games and is expected to miss all three games this week. Thankfully the Wild have plenty of blueline options that can fill-in for Scandella. Look for him to return next week.
On Tuesday, Johnson centred the Lightning’s second line with Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov on his wings. After the practice session he said he is feeling good and optimistic that he will play on Wednesday. Monitor his status during the morning skate, but it looks like he will return after missing the last three games.
Drouin took part in practice on Tuesday, but said he is “not where [he] wants to be,” which suggests that he will not be in the lineup on Wednesday. Monitor his status during the morning skate, but all it looks like he will miss his fourth straight game.
Price made 21 saves on 23 shots in Sunday’s win over the Islanders. Both of his starts since returning from injury have results in wins over the Islanders, showing he is back at 100 percent. Tonight he will make his third straight start and he is expected to go head-to-head with Henrik Lundqvist. In his first start vs. the Rangers, he registered a 25-save shutout in a 3-0 win.
Mrazek gave up two goals on 37 shots in the Red Wings win over the Kings last Friday. The win snapped a short two-game losing skid for Mrazek, who continues to play extremely well this season. Overall he is 6-4-1 with a 2.15 GAA and .935 SV% on the season, but tonight he faces the Bruins at home, where he is 2-1-1 with an impressive 1.43 GAA and .952 SV%.
Gerbe was injured in Sunday’s game against the Kings and will miss at least one month with a lower-body injury. With Gerbe out, Chris Terry returned to the lineup on Monday. Expect the Hurricanes to recall a forward now that Gerbe has been placed on IR.
Niemi stopped all 22 shots that he faced in the Stars shutout win over the Sabres on Saturday. Niemi has won each of his last two starts while stopping 46 of 47 shots (.979 SV%). Niemi’s had an inconsistent season so far, but it has resulted in an 8-3-0 record, 2.41 GAA and .917 SV%. Tonight he will face a Senators team that has gone 5-1-3 while averaging 2.89 goals per game in November.
Smith-Pelly missed Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury, but he is expected to play on the top line in Wednesday’s game. Smith-Pelly is a big body, who has one goal and five assists in 21 games this season. This definitely bumps DSP’s fantasy value, but there is no saying how long he will play on the top line.
Emelin was on the ice for the Canadiens’ practice on Tuesday, but he skated as an extra, which suggests that he will not play on Wednesday. Monitor Emelin’s status during Wednesday’s morning skate, but he is listed as doubtful as of now.
Gallagher underwent surgery to repair two broken fingers and will miss at least six weeks. This is a huge loss for the Canadiens—Gallagher has 19 points (9G / 10A) in 22 games this season. Originally he is expected to be replace by Devante Smith-Pelly on the top line and by Alex Galchenyuk on the top power-play. The earliest he is expected to be back is the first or second week of January.
Bulmer averaged just 6:43 TOI in three games with the Wild during his call-up. He swaps places with Kurtis Gabriel, who will likely play on Wednesday.
Gabriel failed to record an point in his NHL debut on November 10th. He played just 2:51 so the Wild didn’t give him much of a chance. In his time in Iowa, he has just one goal and one assist in 15 games.
Gagner hit his face off of the ice after being hit by Brad Malone and left the game and did not come back. Gagner played just 1:54 before retiring to the dressing room. If he is unavailable for Wednesday’s game, expect Vinny Lecavalier to play.
Montoya was hit in the head by Nick Shore who charged the net in an effort to score a goal. Coach Gerrard Gallant said “he was pretty sore, obviously couldn’t come back.” Roberto Luongo replaced Montoya and he should start on Friday.
Lindholm missed Saturday’s game in Tampa Bay, but his availability for Monday’s practice means there is a chance that he plays Tuesday vs. the Flames. Monitor during Tuesday’s morning skate.
Rask stopped all 22 shots in the Bruins’ 2-0 shutout win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday. It was a nice way to bounce back after giving up five in his previous outing. After posting a shutout, it is not surprising to see Rask start again tonight in Toronto. Rask has gone 3-4-0 with a 2.61 GAA and .905 SV% in November, but makes for a strong start vs. the Leafs.
Rinne gave up four goals on 27 shots in the Predators loss in Minnesota on Saturday. Rinne has lost his last two games while allowing a combined seven goals on 44 shots (.841 SV%). Despite his recent struggles, Rinne is expected to make his ninth consecutive start and is won’t be easy to get back on track when he takes on the Rangers on the road.
Hammond was still not on the ice on Monday as his recovery from a concussion has stalled. He remains out, which means Chris Driedger will serve as Craig Anderson’s backup.
Parise returned to practice on Saturday, but reportedly was not 100 per cent, which is why he didn’t practice on Monday. Parise is expected to miss the Wild’s three-game home-stand this week, but could be back next week.
