Carcillo was originally given an automatic 10-game suspension for making contact with an official in game three versus the Canadiens. The reduction of the suspension to six games means that Carcillo is eligible to return to the Rangers' lineup by game four of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Starter Pekka Rinne is signed for the next seven years. The Predators signed Hutton last offseason under the recommendation of goaltending coach Mitch Korn. The latter helped turn Hutton into a viable NHL backup with a 2.62 goals against average and .910 save percentage and a 20-11-4 record. Before last season, Hutton had played just one NHL game.
Head coach Michel Therrien did not call the injury a concussion at first, however it seemed pretty clear that he had suffered a head injury opposed to what Therrien called a "body" injury. John Moore will miss game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals as a result of his two-game suspension for the hit on Weise.
Regehr is close to returning to the Kings' lineup, but will not play in game six. Should the Blackhawks force a game seven, there is a chance that Regehr could be back.
Quick allowed four goals on 45 shots in the Kings' 5-4 loss to the Blackhawks in game five. Quick has allowed 15 goals through the first five games, while posting a pedestrian .894 SV%. He has gone 4-3 in seven starts at the Staples Center this postseason.
Raphael Diaz will play in game six on Thursday and will likely play in the next game as well, whether it is game seven or game one of the Stanley Cup Finals.
After suffering what appeared to be a head injury in game five, head coach Michel Therrien denied that Weise has a concussion and will miss tonight's game with a "body" injury. John Moore was suspended two games for the hit to the head, so it is strange for Therrien to describe it as a body injury.
Lundqvist was pulled after he allowed four goals on 19 shots in the Rangers 7-4 loss in game five. They have a chance to close out the series again tonight, but will certainly need a better performance between the pipes from King Henrik.
Tokarski allowed four goals on 27 shots, but it was enough to get the job done as the Habs took game five 7-4. Tonight, he is back in goal looking to force a game seven back in Montreal. Tokarski is 2-2 with a .902 SV% in the playoffs.
Lundqivst allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Rangers 3-2 OT win in game four. The Rangers are now one win away from their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1994. King Henrik leads the playoffs in wins (11), GAA (1.98) and SV% (.931). With Dustin Tokarski in goal for the Habs, New York has a huge advantage between the pipes.
All signs pointed towards Stepan returning to the Rangers' lineup tonight, but head coach Alain Vigneault made it clear that it is not up to Stepan whether he plays tonight. Stepan will be monitored and evaluated by the medical staff this afternoon, before a decision is made on his status for game five. Consider him a game-time decision.
Stepan is on the ice with a full facial shield ahead of game 5. Stepan missed game 4 after having jaw surgery following a game 3 broken jaw. There is a chance Stepan could be in the lineup tonight, but it won't be announced until after the gameday skate.
Tokarski allowed three gaols on 29 shots in the Habs' 3-2 OT loss to the Rangers in game 4. Tokarski looked great again on Sunday, but was beat by a perfectly placed wrist shot by Martin St. Louis 6:02 into overtime. Tokarski is 1-2 with a 2.62 GAA and .917 SV% in three postseason starts. The 24-year-old will look to lead the Habs to a game 5 win at the Bell Centre tonight.
Price was on the ice for a second straight day, but it was his first practice in full gear since suffering a leg injury in game 1. He has already been ruled out for the rest of the Eastern Conference Final, but this is a step in the right direction for Price, who could be available for the Stanley Cup Final if the Habs can dig themselves out of a 3-1 hole.
Crawford allowed five goals on 30 shots, including three unanswered to begin the third period, that put the Hawks down 4-2. The Kings went onto win the game 6-2, a performance Crawford will try to put behind him for game 3 tonight in Los Angeles.
Shaw missed the previous seven games, but will be back in the lineup tonight in Los Angeles. Peter Regin is expected to be a healthy scratch to make room for Shaw, who will center the Hawks' third line with Brandon Saad and Kris Versteeg.
Quick allowed two goals on 25 shots in the Kings' 6-2 win over the Blackhawks in game 2. The win knotted the series up at 1-1 heading back to Los Angeles. Quick enters play tonight at 3-3 with a 2.59 GAA and .913 SV% at the Staples Center this postseason.
While teammate Derek Dorsett was fighting Canadiens forward Brandon Prust, Carcillo hit the arm of linesman Scott Driscoll while he was attempting to intervene. He was given a game misconduct at the time. A category 40 rule was applied to the violation. Carcillo received 10 games because the contact was not incidental. Had the officials deemed Carcillo was intending to injure the ref, he would have received a 20 game suspension. Should this series go the distance, Carcillo would eligible to return in a possible game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but as a pending Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA), he has likely played his last game in a Rangers uniform.
