Berube, 24, will make his NHL debut tonight against the Blackhawks. He was recently claimed off of waivers after spending the last three years with Manchester (AHL), the Los Angeles Kings’ minor league affiliate. Berube posted a 37-9-4 record, 2.18 GAA and .913 SV% in 52 games with Manchester last season.
Andersen won 35 games a season ago while posting a 2.38 GAA and .914 SV%. This season he comes in as the Ducks’ No. 1 netminder and should lead the Ducks back to the postseason. He draws a tough matchup in the season opener—he will face a Sharks team that he was 1-3-0 with a 3.38 GAA and .893 SV% against last season.
Bobrovsky allowed four goal on 25 shots in the Blue Jackets loss to the Rangers last night. The Blue Jackets had a lead with less than four minutes left in the game, but the Rangers cashed in three times in less than 90 seconds to win. He will get another crack at the Rangers tonight on the road.
Andersen won 35 games a season ago while posting a 2.38 GAA and .914 SV%. This season he comes in as the Ducks’ No. 1 netminder and should lead the Ducks back to the postseason. He draws a tough matchup in the season opener—he will face a Sharks team that he was 1-3-0 with a 3.38 GAA and .893 SV% against last season.
Fleury allowed three goals on 24 shots in the Penguins 3-0 loss to the Stars on Thursday. Nights where Fleury doesn’t get goal support will be few and far between. He should get some help tonight as they draw a strong matchup against the Coyotes, who played last night.
Rask allowed five goals on 31 shots in the Bruins loss to the Jets on Thursday. It was certainly not an ideal start to the season for Rask and the Bruins and things don’t get any easier with the Canadiens in town this evening. Rask struggled mightily against the Canadiens last season, going 0-3-0 with a 3.29 GAA and .886 SV%.
Miller stopped 29 of 30 shots in the Canucks dominant 5-1 win over the Flames in their season opener on Wednesday. He will try to repeat that performance at home against the Flames again. Mille was 14-7-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .907 SV% in 21 starts on home ice a season ago.
Niemi was spectacular in his first start with the Stars. He stopped all 37 shots that he faced while recording two assists in the Stars’ 3-0 win over the Penguins. It was a dream start for Niemi, who appears to be in line to start his second straight game tonight in Colorado. Niemi was 17-10-2 on the road with San Jose last season.
Miller, 22, came over in the Milan Lucic trade this summer and will make his NHL debut tonight vs. the Canadiens. Miller has a tonne of offensive ability on the blueline—he had 19 goals and 33 assists (52 points) in 70 games with Manchester (AHL) last season.
Smith stopped 40 of 41 shots that he faced in the Coyotes win over the Kings last night. What a great start to the season for Smith, who had the worst season of his career last year. Smith is the Coyotes clear No. 1 netminder which is why it looks like the Coyotes will turn to him again in tonight’s difficult matchup with the Penguins.
Jones made 19 saves on 20 shots in the Sharks 5-1 win over the Kings in their season opener. Jones wasn’t overly busy but he was sharp when called upon. The Sharks were great defensively in this contest and if that is a sign of things to come, Jones could turn into a No. 1 fantasy netminder. Jones is 1-2-0 with a 2.30 GAA and .911 SV% in his career vs. Anaheim.
Rask allowed five goals on 31 shots in the Bruins loss to the Jets on Thursday. It was certainly not an ideal start to the season for Rask and the Bruins and things don’t get any easier with the Canadiens in town this evening. Rask struggled mightily against the Canadiens last season, going 0-3-0 with a 3.29 GAA and .886 SV%.
Varlamov was spotted a 3-0 win in the first period of Thursday’s season opener, but he ended up surrendering five goals on 30 shots in the Avs’ 5-4 loss to the Wild. It was a disappointing start to the season for Varlamov and it could be tough to bounce back tonight with the Stars in town.
The Lightning will go with the same lineup as they did in the regular season opener, so Paquette will sit out with a foot injury again. Look for him to return at some point next week.
Talbot played very well in his first start with the Oilers, stopping 28 of 30 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Blues. It was a strong debut for the 28-year-old, who will see increased goal support as the season goes on. Tonight he will be in tough against Pekka Rinne and a strong Predators team.
Rinne allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Predators 2-1 win over the Hurricanes on Thursday. It was a nice start to the season for Rinne, who is expected to start again tonight vs. Edmonton. The Oilers have a lot of young, talented forwards, but Rinne dominated them last season going 3-0-0 with a 0.98 GAA, .966 SV% and one shutout.
Bishop allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Lightning’s overtime win over the Flyers on Thursday. Bishop stopped two penalty shots, including one in the overtime frame to preserve the victory. It was a great start to the season for the Lightning netminder, who makes for a great start and DFS play this afternoon when he takes on the Sabres.
Kinkaid went 6-5-4 with a 2.59 GAA and .915 SV% in 13 starts and seven relief appearances in 2014-15. With Cory Schneider starting last night, the Devils will turn to Kinkaid tonight vs. the Capitals. He never faced Washington last year and isn’t a good spot-start option tonight because the Capitals possess one of the best offences in the NHL.
Brickley, 23, was the Panthers second round pick (50th overall) in 2010. The University of Vermont product had 22 goals and 25 assists (47 points) in 73 games with San Antonio (AHL) last season. He is expected to open the season on the Panthers’ fourth line.
Niederreiter left Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury, but he skated this morning which is a good sign that he will be available tonight vs. St. Louis. Niederreiter had one goal on one shot in 13:13 TOI before retiring to the dressing room.
