Holtby stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 4-1 win over the Blues on Tuesday. He has won two in a row with a 1.92 GAA and .940 SV%. THe Capitals have been mathematically eliminated from the post-season, so the remaining three games are simply a formality. Holtby has had a tough time vs. Carolina this season--going 0-2-0 with a 4.26 GAA and .881 SV%.
Murphy, 21, has totaled 12 points (2G / 10A) in 48 NHL games with the Hurricanes during his first full professional season. He has also played 19 AHL games for Charlotte in 2013-14, earning 19 points (1G / 18A). Murphy ranks second among Checkers defensemen in assists this season, and third among team blueliners in points. HIs return means Mike Komisarek will suit up tonight.
Iginla skated this morning which is a good sign that he could be back tonight. The Bruins have three games left in the regular season, and they likely want to get Iggy back in there for a few games, so they don't have to just throw him out there in the playoffs. Iginla has 30-plus goals for the 12th straight (full 82-game) season.
Much like the Bruins did with David Krejci on Tuesday, it looks like Bergeron will be a healthy scratch on Thursday vs. the Jets. The Bruins sit atop the NHL, so there is no need to tax their players down the stretch.
Kelly played only one shift during the third period of the Bruins’ shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Kelly missed 22 games earlier this season after suffering a broken fibula during a Dec. 7 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has just nine goals and nine assists and is a plus-2 in 57 games this season. The Bruins recalled Ryan Spooner from Providence on Wednesday on an emergency basis. He’ll likely be in the lineup Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
Krejci was given a rest day on Tuesday, but will be back in tonight vs. the Jets. Krejci has 17 goals and 49 assists (66 points) in 78 games this season. He has three games left to try and post his second career 50 assist season, and first since 2008-09.
Payerl, 23, played in two games with Pittsburgh, including his NHL debut on April 6 at Colorado when he collected three shots and four hits in 9:33 minutes. Payerl has nine points (3G / 6A) in 38 games with WBS this year.
A different defenseman will come out of the lineup each night, tonight it will be Jason Garrison. Corrado, 21, has no points and a minus-4 rating in 12 games with Vancouver this season. While with Utica (AHL) he posted six goals and 11 assists in 56 games.
Blues' head coach Ken Hitchcock said that Backes "should be OK" for the playoffs. Bakes is in a walking boot which obviously is not a good sight for Blues fans, but it does not necessarily mean the injury is serious. The Blues will take all the necessary precautions to make sure their captain is ready to go in the playoffs.
Varlamov stopped 30 of 32 shots in a shootout loss to the Penguins on Sunday. He was given Tuesday night off, but will be back in goal tonight in Vancouver. With a win tonight, Varlamov will break head coach Patrick Roy's record for most wins in a single season with 41. He is 6-0-1 in his last seven with only 14 goals against, get him in your lineup.
Ladd had a strong season, nearing his career-high with 54 points (23G / 31A). That falls five short of his career-high that he set with the Atlanta Thrashers (remember them?) in 2010-11. Ladd has been a good leader for this team and exemplifies exactly what head coach Paul Maurice is looking for out of his players. Should Maurice be back next season, look for Ladd to have a good year.
Elias has missed the last two games after suffering a head injury last Friday vs. the Capitals. He has 17 goals and 34 assists (51 points) in 62 games this season.
Markstrom has not started an NHL game since December 20th. He played 19:48 wit the Canucks in early March after replacing Eddie Lack--he stopped four of five shots. He will likely start the remaining three games in a lost season for the Canucks. This will give Vancouver a good idea of what their goalie situation will be like heading into 2014-15.
Greiss allowed four goals on 30 shots in a OT loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He finally got some goal support, but it still was not enough as Greiss dropped his fifth straight game. It seems like neither the Stars or Coyotes want to get into the playoffs. Tonight, Greiss will face the Predators, a team he has already defeated once this season.
Smith will miss his eighth straight game on Thursday, and he is desperately hoping that Thomas Greiss can pull out the W to keep the Coyotes alive. Phoenix has a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, monitor Smith's status heading into the weekend.
Rinne allowed two goals on 30 shots in a shootout loss to the Stars on Tuesday. It was a much better outing that his start vs. Dallas the week prior. He will try to play spoiler tonight with the Coyotes in town. Rinne has gone 3-5-2 with a 2.57 GAA and .901 SV% at home this season.
Rask allowed three goals on 24 shots in a shootout loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. Rask has won three of his last five while posting a 2.13 GAA and .927 SV%. Those numbers are right around where he is at on the season (2.06 / .929) and that should continue into the playoffs. After tonight, you might see Rask one more time as the Bruins gear up for a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.
Granburg, 21, was a Leafs' fourth round pick (116th overall) in 2010. He has six points (2G / 4A) with a plus-18 rating in 69 games in his first season with the Toronto Marlies. He will likely make his NHL debut tonight as the Leafs rest one of their defensemen.
Clutterbuck left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury and did not return. The Islanders' season is all but over, so they will keep all injured players out for the rest of the year. Clutterbuck scored 12 goals and added seven assists in 73 games this season. As we have grown accustomed to seeing, Clutterbuck is once again in the top-5 in hits with 270 on the season.
Hanzal hopped on the ice this morning, took a couple of laps around before shaking his head (in displeasure we assume) and heading off of the ice. It looks like Hanzal will miss a second straight game, and what back timing for the Coyotes as they continue to fight furiously with the Dallas Stars for the final Wild Card spot.
