Nichushkin has missed the last six games with groin/hip injuries, but was back on the ice this morning. Despite returning to practice, Nichushkin skated on the Stars 'fifth-line' which suggests he is nearing a return, but it will not be on Tuesday vs. St. Louis. After tomorrow, Dallas is off until Friday, that seems like a more realistic return date.
Hayes was one of the last players on the ice at the Rangers morning skate which suggests he will serve as a healthy scratch tonight vs. Minnesota. He was also bumped off of the power-play, which is another sign that he will not play. Ryan Malone is expected to take his spot in the lineup, with Martin St. Louis moving to his spot as the first line centre. Hayes has one goal and one assist in six games.
With Derek Stepan still sidelined with a fractured fibula, the Rangers have been searching for someone to centre their top-line all season. St. Louis started the season there but has spent that last week back on the wing. Tonight, it looks like Kevin Hayes (who was centring the top-line) will be a healthy scratch with Ryan Malone entering the lineup. This would mean that St. Louis would move back to the middle, likely between Rick Nash and Chris Kreider. However, head coach Alain Vigneault said the lineup has not been finalized. We will likely have to wait until pre-game warmups to determine the lines and scratches.
Killorn was held out of Saturday's game, but said that he is very close to returning to the lineup. He has missed a total of four games with an undisclosed injury, but Jonathan Marchessault and Mike Blunden were both reassigned to the AHL this morning, which suggests that Killorn, who is practicing this morning, will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. He has two goals and five games.
Brown missed Saturday's game with an upper-body injury he suffered early in Friday's clash with the Jets. Brown returning to practice and Jonathan Marchessault and Mike Blunden being reassigned to Syracuse (AHL) this morning suggests that Brown will be back in the Lightning lineup on Tuesday. Expect a full update after practice.
Blunden had a minus-1 rating in 9:25 of playing time in his second game of the season with Tampa Bay. With Blunden heading back to Syracuse, expect J.T Brown and/or Alex Killorn to be back in the Lightning lineup on Tuesday. Blunden has four points (2G / 2A) in six AHL games.
Marchessault played 12:33 and recorded one shot with a minus-1 rating in his Lightning debut on Saturday. With Marchessault heading back to Syracuse, expect J.T Brown and/or Alex Killorn to be back in the Lightning lineup on Tuesday. Marchessault has two goals and five assists in six games with the Crunch.
Lundqvist allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Rangers' 3-1 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for King Henrik, but it is good to see him posting a save percentage above .900 for the fourth straight game after a very difficult stretch to start the season. There are not many better options (if any) that Lundqvist, keep rolling him every night.
Rinaldo missed Saturday's game against the Red Wings with an upper-body injury he suffered on Wednesday vs. the Penguins. He was only expected to miss one game originally and it looks like he will be in for Blair Jones on Tuesday. He has no points with a minus-3 rating and six penalty minutes in seven games.
Lovejoy broke his hand in a fight with Joe Pavelski in Sunday's penalty filled battle between the Ducks and Sharks. There were 155 penalty minutes handed out last night and despite Lovejoy manhandling Pavelski, he is the one walking away with the injury. Lovejoy was playing 18 minutes a night, so this will hurt the Ducks blueline for likely one month or longer. Marc Fistric will likely be in the lineup on Tuesday.
Peters stopped 20 of 21 shots in a win over the Panthers last Saturday. He has allowed three goals on 37 shots (.919 SV%) in his two outings this season. He has a fairly tough matchup against a Canucks team who are 4-3-0 on the year.
Andersen allowed one goal on 23 shots in a win over the Sabres on Wednesday. He has won all of his six starts while posting an excellent 1.32 GAA and .951 SV%. He draws a difficult matchup against the Sharks, but you can not bench this guy right now.
Demers missed Saturday's game with what the Sharks called a 'minor health issue'. He will likely replace Matt Irwin and be paired with Scott Hannan.
Foligno's head collided with a linesman's body when he was rubbed out by Jeff Carter in Sunday's game. Foligno was laying facedown on the ice and had to be stretchered off. It was a scary scene and likely an injury that will sideline Foligno for a lengthy period of time.
Kennedy is getting close to making his season debut, but still needs more time to heal his upper-body injury. Look for him to return on Tuesday vs. the Avalanche.
Niemi allowed five goals on 28 shots in a loss to the Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Alex Stalock lost to the Sabres last night, so it will be Niemi tonight in Anaheim. He has lost his last two starts while allowing nine goals after starting the season 3-0 with just seven goals against.
Kopitar played 10:39 and recorded one shot before retiring to the dressing room for the night. Kopitar has had a rough start to the season, so this injury will not make owners happy. Expect an update after the game or on Monday.
Crawford will miss his fourth straight game tonight, but he could be back in the lineup next week. He will be looked at by doctors on Monday and a detailed update and timeline should be released.
Carcillo suffered the knee injury in the Blackhawks loss to the Blues last night. With Carcillo out, Jeremy Morin will get back into the lineup tonight vs. the Senators. Expect Carcillo back in late November.
Darling, 25, was drafted 153rd overall in 2007 and has had a long journey to get to the NHL. He was in the ECHL has recent as last season but won both of his starts in the AHL this season while posting a 1.44 GAA and .948 SV%. He will make his NHL debut vs. the Senators.
