NHL Hockey Player News

Vitale was injured in game 6 against the Blue Jackets, but it looks like he will be ready to go for game 1 on Friday.

Sutter was injured in game 6 against the Blue Jackets, but it looks like he avoided a serious injury and will be ready for game 1 vs. the Rangers on Friday. Sutter has scored three goals and added two assists in six postseason games.

Paille missed the final game of the regular season and the entire first-round, but could be back in the lineup tonight in game 1 vs. the Canadiens. Paille tallied nine points (4G / 5A) in 22 playoff games last season.

The Devils did not release terms of the contract. Jagr said it was a one-year deal. The contract is believed to be worth $6 million US with incentives. Jagr was the Devils' leading scorer this, finishing with 24 goals and 43 assists for 67 points.

This is the second day in a row that Marchand has not skated. Daniel Paille is skating in his place, but there is no word if Marchand will miss tonight's game. Expect head coach Claude Julien to let us know following the skate.

Hishon did not play any regular season games for the Avalanche this season, but had 10 goals and 14 assists (24 points) in 50 games with Lake Erie (AHL). He was a healthy scratch in game 6 after playing in games 4 and 5. He is averaging seven minutes a night through his first two playoff games, but could play more tonight as he suits up on the third line with Max Talbot Jamie McGinn.

Varlamov surrendered three goals on 21 shots in the 5-2 game 6 loss in Minnesota. The home team has won every game in this series, so the Avalanche have that going for them, but the will need to be much better than they were on Monday. Varly was a bit off in game 6 and has not had all that much success in his first three game 7's--he has gone 1-2 with a 2.99 GAA and .857 SV%.

Lundqvist was pulled after allowing four goals on 23 shots in the first two periods of last night's game 6 loss. Wayne Simmonds scored three of the four on King Henrik so you know the Rangers will be looking to shut him down tonight. Lundqivst will start his fifth career game 7, he is 1-3-0 with an .879 SV% in his first four.

Quick gave up a single goal on 26 shots in a win over the Sharks in game 6. In the first three games of the series Quick had a 5.78 GAA and .852 SV% but in the last three games he has improved immensely posting a 1.33 GAA and .958 SV%. The Kings come into game 7 with all the momentum, but we have seen on many of occasions that anything cane happen in game 7.

Kuemper stopped 21 of 23 shots in a huge 5-2 win over the Avalanche in game 6. Kuemper will start tonight in his first career game 7. Kuemper ranks second in the NHL with a 1.53 GAA and fourth with a .934 SV% this postseason, stopping 99-of-106 shots in parts of five games.

Mitchell was injured on a penalty kill in game 6 and it will keep him out of the important game 7 tonight in San Jose. Mitchell will likely be replaced by Matt Greene.

Vlasic missed game 6 after being elbowed in the head by Kings' forward Jarret Stoll in game 5. He is there best puck moving defenseman, so his loss is a big one, but Matt Irwin filled-in pretty well in game 6. Irwin logged 18:43 of ice-time and was a minus-1, he'll be in again tonight.

Alex Stalock started in goal in game 6 and allowed four goals on 30 shots, so the Sharks will turn to a more veteran goaltender in game 7. San Jose has dropped three in a row after taking a 3-0 series lead, but will look to avoid a complete implosion tonight in game 7. Niemi is 3-2-0 with a 3.90 GAA and .882 SV% this postseason.

Mason stopped 34 of 36 shots in a 5-2 win over the Rangers in game 6 last night. The win forces a game 7 tonight back in New York, one of three game 7's Wednesday. Mason has gone 2-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .939 SV% in three starts in this series, but has never won in Madison Square Garden in his career. Could tonight be the night?

Lundqvist stopped 24 of 26 shots in the 4-2 win over the Flyers in Game 5. Lundqvist has been excellent so far, posting a 1.81 GAA and .926 SV% in the first five games. His strong goaltending has the Rangers one game away from eliminating Philadelphia. In the first two games in Philly, King Henrik has only allowed three goals, while the Rangers have tallied five.

Umberger missed two games in the first round, including game 6 in which the Blue Jackets were eliminated. Columbus showed some promise this season and Umberger will continue to be a part of their growth as he is signed through the 2016-17 season.

Mason allowed three goals on 21 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Rangers in Game 5. After a great outing in Game 4, Mason struggled a bit on Sunday and now they are one game away from elimination. Henrik Lundqvist has outplayed Mason and Ray Emery, but the Flyers will need to find a way to crack the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner if they are going to extend their season.

Gill had a tough go in just his seventh game of the season on Sunday. A pass went off of his skate in the Flyers end, which resulted in a goal for Dominic Moore and a 3-0 Rangers lead. Gustafsson will come in having scored 10 points (2G / 8A) with a plus-7 rating in 31 games this season. Gustafsson played very well in seven games during the 2011-12 playoffs. He registered one goal and one assist with a plus-4 rating. He is expected to be paired with Luke Schenn in a must-win game for Philly.

Vitale left early in the third period after he collided with Black Comeau, both players were injured on the play. There is no word on how serious Vitale's injury is, but he has played a key fourth line role for the Penguins. Monitor his status before round 2.

Sutter was injured while killing a penalty in the second period. While Sutter was able to finish his shift, he limped to the bench when it was done and needed assistance heading down the runway. If Sutter’s injury is long-term, it will be a huge loss for the Pens. He was arguably Pittsburgh’s best player in Game 5 and was the catalyst behind their 3-1 win, which set the stage for them to clinch the series tonight.