Leighton played OK when he was called upon during Eddie Lack’s 14-game absence with a concussion. With Lack activated from IR yesterday, Leighton returns to the AHL, where he has gone 7-2-0 with a 1.80 GAA and .933 SV% in 12 games.
Lack has missed the last 14 games with a concussion, but will return as Cam Ward’s backup on Thursday. With Lack back, there’s a chance that he could draw the final start before the Christmas break on the second game of a back-to-back tomorrow vs. the Bruins. The 28-year-old is 1-2-1 with a 3.79 GAA and .856 SV% on the season.
Couturier has been sidelined with a sprained MCL but has been working out on the ice recently and expects to be back after the Christmas break and before the New Year kicks in. Couturier’s two-way game will help a Flyers team that is already playing very well. He scored five goals with three assists (eight points) in 20 games before getting hurt.
Bournival, 24, has no points in three games with the Lightning, but has collected 13 points (5G / 8A) in 24 games with Syracuse this season. His recall suggests the Lightning may have someone banged up and questionable for Thursday’s game.
Bishop suffered the injury in the first period of the Lightnings’ win over the Red Wings on Tuesday. Bishop will be out until mid-January, which leaves Andrei Vasilevskiy in charge of the Tampa Bay crease and making him a must-add in fantasy circles. Kristers Gudlevskis has been recalled to serve as Vasilevskiy’s backup on Thursday.
Andersen allowed three goals on 28 shots in the Maple Leafs’ loss to the Ducks on Monday. Andersen has lost three of his last four (1-1-2) while posting a 1.93 GAA and .940 SV%. Tonight he faces an Avalanche team that has lost four in a row. Andersen has gone 3-3-4 with a 2.76 GAA and .917 SV% on the road this season.
Vasilevskiy allowed one goal on 23 shots after replacing Ben Bishop in the Lightning’s win over the Red Wings on Tuesday. With Bishop out 3-4 weeks, Vasilevskiy will take over as their No.1, starting with tonight vs. the Blues. The 22-year-old has gone 4-1-1 with a 2.27 GAA and .929 SV% on home ice this season, but was pulled in his first start vs. the Blues.
Ward allowed one goal on 24 shots in the Hurricanes’ win over the Sabres last Saturday. He was set to start on Monday but the game was postponed, so he’ll face the Sabres again tonight in Buffalo. Ward has gone 3-1-3 with a 2.32 GAA and .915 SV% in December and has gone 3-6-5 in 14 starts on the road so far in 2016-17.
Talbot allowed two goals on 27 shots in the Oilers’ win in St. Louis on Monday. Talbot has won his last two starts and three of his last four while posting a 2.20 GAA and .926 SV%. Talbot has had a strong season so far, but has yet to beat the Coyotes. In their first two meetings, Talbot has gone 0-1-1 with a 1.94 GAA and .938 SV% vs. Arizona.
Stastny left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury and is listed as doubtful for Thursday's game vs. the Lightning. Monitor his status during the morning skate, but it doesn't look like he'll be in the lineup. Expect Nail Yakupov or Ty Rattie to be back in the Blues' lineup with Stastny out.
Allen allowed two goals on 38 shots in the Blues’ win in Dallas on Tuesday. Allen has gone 5-4-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .900 SV% in nine December starts and tonight he faces the Lightning for the second time this season. In the first meeting, he gave up four goals on 26 shots, but it was enough to get the win.
Luongo was scheduled to start tonight, but missed Thursday’s game with some “bumps and bruises” so it remains to be seen if he will still end up starting tonight. He stopped 33 of 36 shots in a win over Buffalo on Tuesday and draws a great matchup against the Red Wings, who he is 2-0-0 with a 0.99 GAA and .953 SV% against this season.
Reimer stopped 30 of 31 shots in the Panthers’ win in Colorado last Friday. Reimer will start the first game of a back-to-back tonight vs. the Bruins. The 28-year old has gone 4-4-2 with a 2.77 GAA and .904 SV% in his first 12 appearances with the Panthers. He will take on a Bruins team that has lost six of their last eight games.
Smith allowed three goals on 27 shots in the Coyotes’ loss to the Flames on Monday. Smith has lost his last two starts while allowing a combined six goals on 56 shots (.893 SV%). Smith has gone 3-5-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .928 SV% in his last 10 starts and tonight he will make his third start vs. Edmonton. He has gone 2-0-0 with a 1.44 GAA and .961 SV% in the first two meetings.
Montoya stopped all five shots that he faced after replacing Carey Price in the Canadiens’ loss to the Sharks last Friday. Montoya is 2-3-2 with a 3.53 GAA and .887 SV% in seven starts on the road this season. Those numbers are a tad inflated by a 10-0 loss in Columbus back on November 4th. Tonight he gets a chance to redeem himself in Columbus, against a Blue Jackets team that has won 11 in a row.
Price stopped 12 of 13 shots in the Canadiens’ win over the Ducks. It was an easy night for Price, who has won five of his last seven starts while posting a 2.28 GAA and .899 SV%. The 29-year-old has been excellent on home ice this season, going 14-2-2 with a 1.83 GAA and .937 SV% in 18 starts at Bell Centre. Tonight he will take on a Wild team that has won eight consecutive games.
Markov missed Tuesday’s game vs. the Ducks and will not play Thursday vs. the Wild, but head coach Michel Therrien said he wouldn't be surprised if Markov was available for Friday’s game in Columbus. With Markov out, Zach Redmond will remain in the lineup.
Gordon played just 7:40 TOI on Monday and will come back out of the lineup tonight vs. the Capitals. Gordon will be replaced by Dale Weise and will be scratched for the fifth time in six games.
Weise was a healthy scratch on Monday, but will replace Boyd Gordon in the lineup tonight vs. the Capitals. Weise has had a rough debut season in Philadelphia, picking up just four points (2G / 2A) in 29 games.
Holtby allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Capitals’ loss to Montreal on Saturday. After three days off, Holtby will be back in goal tonight in Philadelphia. Holtby has won four of his last five (4-1-0) while allowing a combined nine goals on 140 shots (.936 SV%). He’ll face a Flyers team that is 11-5-3 on home-ice—Holtby is 5-2-2 with a 2.19 GAA and .930 SV% on the road.
