Stepan's jaw was broken on a hit by Habs' forward Brandon Prust in game 3 on Thursday. Prust has a hearing for a possible suspension as a result of the hit. Head coach Alain Vigneault would not commit to a timetable on Stepan's return, but more details are expected to be released following surgery.
Tokarski stopped 27 of 30 shots in the Habs' 3-1 loss in game 2. With Carey Price out for the rest of the series, they are in big trouble, but they clearly have trust in Tokarski as they go back to him for game 3.
Pouliot missed practice on Wednesday with what was described as a 'maintenance day'. Pouliot was back on the ice this morning and will be in the lineup tonight at MSG. Pouliot played 13:39 and was a plus-1 with one shot and six hits in game 2. He has three goals and five assists (8 points) in 16 games this postseason.
Consider Brassard a game-time decision after head coach Alain Vigneault called him day-to-day this morning. Brassard missed game 2 after suffering an injury early in game 1. If he is unable to go tonight, Dominic Moore will remain the Rangers' third line centre.
Lundqvist stopped 40 of 41 shots in the Rangers' 3-1 win in game 2. The Rangers were able to score 10 goals and win both games in Montreal and are back at home with a 2-0 series lead. King Henrik has posted a .952 SV% through two games and the Rangers have a distinct advantage in goal with Carey Price lost for the remainder of the round. A win tonight will give them a 3-0 straglehold of the series and have them one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals.
Shaw will be out for the seventh consecutive game; he says it’s the most time he’s missed in his entire hockey career. The good news is, Shaw said he’s feeling no pain with his injury. The stops/starts and quick on-ice movements aren’t affecting him either. He is targeting a return for game 3.
Crawford saved 25 of 26 shots in the Hawks' 3-1 win over the Kings in game 1 on Sunday. He continues to be great in the post season as he paces the NHL with a 1.90 GAA. Chicago has been nearly unbeatable at the United Center, winning 18 of their last 20 at home.
Quick stopped 17 of 20 shots in the Kings' 3-1 loss to the Blackhawks in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The Kings looked like they were out of gas, but had an extra day-off on Tuesday, so they should be well rested heading into game 2.
Shaw is participating again this morning, but is not taking line rushes on any of the top four lines which is not a good sign for his availability for game 2 on Wednesday. Shaw has not played since game 1 of the second round series vs. the Wild. Monitor his status during tomorrow's morning skate prior to game 2.
Galchenyuk will be playing in his first game since April 9th. He will skate on the Habs second line with Tomas Plekanec and Thomas Vanek. Michael Bournival will take a seat with Galchenyuk back in. He had one goals and two assists in five playoff games in 2012-13.
With Carey Price sidelined for the rest of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Habs will roll with the 24-year-old Tokariski in game 2 vs. the Rangers. Without Price, the Habs are in trouble, but Tokarski played well in a brief stint with the Canadiens this season. He was 2-0 with a 1.84 GAA and .946 SV% with Montreal and went 20-16-3 with a 2.38 GAA and .919 SV% with Hamilton in 41 AHL games. He faces the tall task of going head-to-head with Henrik Lundqvist.
The Blues re-signed Brian Elliott to a three-year deal this morning and will roll with Elliott and Jake Allen in 2014-15. In 19 regular-season games with the Blues, Miller went 10-8-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .903 SV%, and followed it with a 2-4 record, 2.70 GAA and .897 SV% in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. Miller as a rental did not work for the Blues, but he is expected to garner a lot of attention this summer.
Galchenyuk has not played since April 9th because of a lower-body injury that he suffered that night vs. the Blackhawks. Galchenyuk recorded 13 goals and 18 assists (31 points) with a minus-12 rating in 65 games this season. If he returns to the lineup tonight, Micheal Bournival is expected to be scratched.
Elliott was set to become a unrestricted free agent in the summer, but this signing means that Ryan Miller will not be back in 2014-15, while Elliott is signed through the 2016-17 season. Elliott was 18-6-2 with a 1.96 GAA and .922 SV% with the Blues this season.
Brassard was injured on a hit from Mike Weaver early in game 1. He is listed as day-to-day, so the severity of his injury is not clear. Dominic Moore played very well in Brassard's spot, recording two assists in 16:36 TOI; he is expected to play there again tonight, with Dan Carcillo coming in.
Lundqvist allowed two goals on 22 shots in the Rangers dominant 7-2 win over the Canadiens in game 1. In game 2 and the remainder of the series, New York will have a decisive edge in goal because Carey Price is out for the rest of the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers become heavy favourites whether it is Dustin Tokarski or Peter Budaj in the Habs' crease.
With Carey Price sidelined for the rest of the Eastern Conference Finals, it looks like the Habs will roll with the 24-year-old Tokariski in game 2 vs. the Rangers. Without Price, the Habs are in trouble, but Tokarski played well in a brief stint with the Canadiens this season. He was 2-0 with a 1.84 GAA and .946 SV% with Montreal and went 20-16-3 with a 2.38 GAA and .919 SV% with Hamilton in 41 AHL games. He faces the tall task of going head-to-head with Henrik Lundqvist.
Price was injured in a collision with Chris Kreider in game 1, and will now miss the rest of the series. Head coach Michel Therrien said it best this morning when he said "we lost our best player". This injury is devestating for the Habs, who look to bounce back from a 7-2 loss in game 1. Now their fate rests in the hands of Petee Budaj.
It was been a tough season for Letang. He dealt with a knee injury to start the season, an elbow infection in December and January and then of course his stroke in February. Now Letang's latest injuries to his foot and hand, I'm sure he will be happy to relax his banged up body over the offseason.
Price did not return for the third period in game 1 after he appeared to injure his leg during a collision with Rangers' forward Chris Kreider. Price's absence at the morning skate should not be too alarming. He has skipped morning skates throughout the playoffs and played, he was also one of six players who didn't take part. We will wait to see what head coach Michel Therrien has to say about Price's availability, but we will likely have to wait until pre-game warmups, to find out if he or Peter Budaj starts game 2.
