Backstrom took part in some battle drills this morning, but hasn’t officially been cleared for contact. He is expect to meet with his surgeon this week and that will determine how much longer he will be out. Expect an update later in the week.
Luongo was excellent in his season debut stopping 38 of 39 shots in the the Panthers’ 7-1 win over the Flyers. Tonight he will get another crack at the Flyers, but expect a bitter Philly team to come out strong. Luongo was 12-11-6 with a 2.53 GAA and .919 SV% on the road in 2014-15.
Howard stopped all 22 shots that he faced in the Red Wings’ 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs in their season opener. It was an ideal start to the season for Howard, who is trying to fight off Petr Mrazek to get his starting gig back. He draws a tough matchup tonight against a Lightning team that has averaged 4.33 goals per game to start the season.
Chara missed the first two games of the regular season, but will be back in the lineup this afternoon vs. the Lightning. With Chara back in the lineup, the Bruins sent Matt Irwin to Providence (AHL). Chara should definitely help a Bruins blueline that has struggled through the first two games.
Rask gave up three goals on 37 shots in the Bruins loss to the Canadiens on Saturday. Rask’s struggles vs. the Habs continued and he now sits winless through two starts while giving up eight goals on 58 shots (.882 SV%). It will be difficult for him to get into the win column this afternoon with the Lightning in town. Rask was 2-1-1 with a 3.04 GAA and .882 SV% vs. Tampa Bay last season.
Bishop stopped 24 of 25 shots that he faced in the Lightning’s 4-1 win over the Sabres on Saturday. The win moved Bishop to 2-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .940 SV% to start the season. He has been excellent and should be able to get to 3-0 this afternoon as he takes on a Bruins team who is off to a rough start.
McIlrath will replace Dan Boyle in the Rangers’ lineup on Tuesday. The 23-year-old blueliner had six goals and 11 assists (17 points) in 73 games with Hartford (AHL) last season but has yet to record a point in three NHL games. Look for him to skate alongside Keith Yandle.
Boyle had one assist and a plus-2 rating in Saturday’s win over the Rangers, but head coach Alain Vigneault obviously wants more out of Boyle, especially in the defensive zone, so he will sit tomorrow vs. Winnipeg.
Schenn was a minus-3 in the Flyers 7-1 blowout loss to the Panthers on Saturday, so it is no surprise to see him come out tonight. He will be replaced by Radko Gudas, who will be making his Flyers debut.
Gudas missed 51 games a season ago after undergoing knee surgery and now 225 days after being acquired from Tampa Bay, Gudas will finally make his Flyers debut. Gudas is a rugged defenseman, who Flyers fans should love as long as he can stay in the lineup. He isn’t really known for his offence having registered just 32 points (7G / 25A) in 126 games in his career.
Umberger will miss Monday’s game after suffering an upper-body injury in Florida on Saturday. With Umberger out, Sam Gagner will make his Flyers’ debut. Umberger is day-to-day.
Gagner, 26, was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the season, but with R.J Umberger out with an upper-body injury, Gagner will be inserted into the lineup for Monday’s clash with the Panthers. Gagner is coming off of a season where he had 15 goals and 26 assists (41 points) in 81 games.
Rask left Saturday’s game late in the third period, but was on the ice for practice this morning and reportedly showed no ill effects. Expect Rask to play tomorrow vs. the Panthers.
McCabe failed to record a point in the only game he played in Rochester. With the Americans having the night off, McCabe has been recalled and could be in the lineup this afternoon vs. Tampa Bay.
Matthias missed Saturday’s game vs. the Senators and was only able to skate on his own before practice on Monday. He didn’t take any shots this morning, which isn’t a good sign that he will be back on Friday.
Halak still has not joined the Islanders for practice and remains day-to-day. Halak continues to skate with the goalie coaches, but there is no timetable for his return at this point. Thomas Greiss will continue to shoulder the load while Halak is out.
Nash suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of Saturday’s loss to the Red Wings. Nash’s unavailability for this morning’s practice, puts his status for Tuesday’s game vs. the Panthers in jeopardy.
Greiss allowed three goals on 35 shots in the Islanders loss to the Blackhawks on opening night. He was given Saturday night off, but will be back in goal this afternoon vs. the Jets. It is a tough matchup for Greiss as Winnipeg comes in 2-0 having outscored their opponents 9-3 so far.
Helm was expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a separated shoulder. He has nearly reached the end of his timetable, which suggests that he could be back tomorrow vs. the Lightning. If Helm is set to return, the Red Wings will need to make a roster move.
