NHL Hockey Player News

Sceviour will miss his second straight game with an "minor shoulder” injury. Sceviour is listed as day-to-day and could be ready for the Panthers’ back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.

Lehtonen stopped all 18 shots that he faced after replacing Antti Niemi in the Stars’ loss to the Panthers on New Year’s Eve. It was strange to see Niemi start anyways, seeing as how Lehtonen was riding a three-game winning streak. The Finnish netminder has now stopped 95 of the last 100 shots (.950 SV%) that he has faced. Tonight he faces a Montreal team that played last night and has gone 2-2-2 in their last six.

Gourde, 25, failed to record a point in either game during his call-up, so he returns to Syracuse where he has 10 goals and 16 assists (26 points) in 29 games this season.

Daniel Altshuller was Cam Ward’s backup on Tuesday, but Leighton will take over that role until Eddie Lack is back from a concussion. Leighton has gone 8-5-0 with a 2.17 GAA and .923 SV% in 16 games with Charlotte and 2-1-0 with a 3.53 GAA and .875 SV% in three NHL games.

Altshuller, 22, served as Cam Ward’s backup last night, but returns to Charlotte, where he has gone 1-2-0 with a 3.44 GAA and .884 SV%. Michael Leighton has been recalled to serve as Ward’s backup.

McIlrath has been a healthy scratch for the last seven games and heads to Springfield to get some games in. The former 10th overall pick has one goal in four games with the Panthers and could spend as many as two weeks in the AHL before being recalled.

Pickard allowed three goals on 24 shots in Colorado’s loss in Vancouver on Monday. With Semyon Varlamov still out, Pickard will remain in net. The 24-year-old has lost four consecutive games while posting a 4.55 GAA and .856 SV%. One of those losses came against the Flames, who he will face tonight—he allowed six goals on 31 shots in a 6-3 loss on December 27th.

Rinne allowed three goals on 23 shots in the Predators’ loss to Chicago last Thursday. Rinne has lost three consecutive games while allowing a combined 10 goals on 88 shots (.886 SV%). Despite Juuse Saros posting a shutout the next night in St. Louis, it looks like Rinne will start tonight vs. the Canadiens. The 34-year-old is 9-4-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .917 SV% on home ice.

Puempel previously missed time with a concussion and is out indefinitely with another concussion. With the young winger sidelined, Nicklas Jensen will draw back into the lineup.

Lundqvist stopped 25 of 27 shots in the Rangers’ win in Colorado last Saturday. Lundqvist finished the month of December at 5-2-0 with a 2.56 GAA and .915 SV%. He has played fairly well this season and tonight he will be looking to avenge a loss in Buffalo in early December—that night he allowed four goals on 34 shots in a 4-3 defeat.

Schneider stopped all 22 shots that he faced in the Devils’ shutout win over the Bruins last night. This was a huge performance from Schneider, who had a very difficult month of December. Schneider has struggled mightily on the road this season, registering just one win in 15 games while posting a 3.25 GAA and .898 SV%.

albot allowed two goals on 32 shots in the Oilers’ shootout loss to the Canucks on Saturday. Talbot finished December with a 7-1-4 record, 2.26 GAA and .924 SV%. He has quietly gone about his business while other goalies grab the headlines, like the guy he faces tonight, Sergei Bobrovsky—who enters play on a personal 13-game winning streak.

Budaj allowed two goals on 20 shots in the Kings’ win over the Sharks’ on Saturday. Budaj has gone 2-3-1 with a 1.49 GAA, .943 SV% and one shutout. Tonight he will face the Sharks again—he is 1-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .884 SV% in the first two meetings with their California rivals.

Pacioretty left the morning skate after being hit in the foot by Shea Weber shot. Pacioretty was reportedly unable to put any weight on his foot as he hobbled off of the ice and we all know how hard Weber can fire the puck, so the Canadiens’ doctors will keep a close eye on Pacioretty’s foot in the hopes that it doesn’t swell up so he can be available tonight.

Benn missed Tuesday’s practice because of a foot injury and it will keep him out of the lineup tomorrow. Benn is listed as day-to-day and while he is sidelined Patrick Sharp will move up to the Stars’ top line with Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza.

While Michal Neuvirth was sidelined, Stolarz made the most of his opportunities, even though they were few and far between. The 22-year-old went 2-0-0 with a 1.79 GAA and .938 SV% with the Flyers and returns to the Phantoms, where he has gone 6-2-0 with a 2.39 GAA and .927 SV%. The Flyers appear to have a good one in the 6-foot-6 American netminder.

Neuvirth has been sidelined since November 12th because of a lower-body injury, but will be able to backup Steve Mason vs. the Rangers on Wednesday. The 28-year Czech netminder has gone 4-2-0 with a 3.54 GAA and .859 SV% in nine games this season. With Neuvirth back, the Flyers have sent Anthony Stolarz to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Mason allowed three goals on 25 shots in the Flyers’ loss in Anaheim on Sunday. John Gibson was excellent at the other end of the ice and led to Mason’s fourth straight loss. During that stretch, Mason has an ugly 4.05 GAA and .841 SV%, but will remain in goal tonight vs. the Rangers—he allowed three goals on 23 shots in a 3-2 loss in his first start vs. New York.

Schlemko was listed as questionable because of an upper-body injury that he suffered on Saturday, but head coach Pete DeBoer announced that Schlemko will be replaced by Mirco Mueller tonight vs. the Kings. Schlemko is day-to-day.