Jagr missed Tuesday’s game with an illness, but will be back in the lineup on Thursday. With Jagr coming back into the lineup, Connor Brickley will be a healthy scratch. Jagr has nine goals and 12 assists (21 points) in 28 games this season.
Braun was not on the ice this morning, but will play tonight in Toronto. Braun has on goal and four assists in his last five games and 11 points (1G / 10A) in 28 games on the season.
Howard allowed three goals on 38 shots in the Red Wings OT loss in New Jersey last Friday. Howard is 1-0-2 with a 1.91 GAA and .943 SV% on December and tonight will be his 10th start on home ice—he has gone 5-4-0 with a 2.08 GAA and .922 SV% at Joe Louis Arena. Howard draws a great matchup vs. a struggling Canucks team that has just two goals in their last three games.
Hertl was a late scratch prior to Tuesday’s game, but he was on the ice for the Sharks morning skate and he is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday. Hertl was set to skate on the first line on Tuesday, but tonight he will start on the fourth line.
Jones stopped 26 of 27 shots that he faced in the Sharks win in Montreal on Tuesday. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Jones, who will start tonight in Toronto. Jones is 1-4-1 in December, but he comes into play on Thursday at 10-4-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .932 SV% on the road this season. He makes for a strong start tonight vs. the 10-13-6 Maple Leafs.
Montoya stopped 20 of 21 shots that he faced in the Panthers win over the Capitals last Thursday. Montoya has topped 42 of the last 44 shots (.955 SV%) that he’s faced to earn back-to-back wins. Montoya has been a top-end backup this season and he comes into play with a 3-1-0 record, 1.97 GAA and .929 SV% on the road this season.
Lazar was knocked out of Wednesday’s game after a hit from Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson. Lazar was reportedly feeling much better this afternoon, so monitor his status leading up to Friday’s game.
Gibson was pulled after allowing three goals on 17 shots in the Ducks’ loss to the Hurricanes last Friday. It was his first rough outing since being called up, going 4-3-1 with a 1.74 GAA and .934 SV%. With Anton Khudobin now in San Diego (AHL), Gibson is here to stay and he makes for a great start tonight in Buffalo.
Markstrom stopped all five shots that he faced after replacing Ryan Miller in the Canucks blowout loss in Minnesota on Tuesday. Markstrom has gone 1-2-2 with a 2.87 GAA and .906 SV% in five starts and two relief appearances this season. The Canucks are reeling right now and Flyers team that has lost three of five.
Ennis will miss his 12th consecutive game with an upper-body injury, but he could return to the lineup on Saturday. Monitor Ennis’ status leading up to Saturday’s contest.
Halischuk has three goals and three assists in 24 games with Manitoba this season. Halischuk will likely be in the lineup on Friday vs. the Rangers. Halischuk had eight points (3G / 5A) in 47 games with the Jets last season.
Armia, 22, was the 16th overall pick in 2011 and has picked up eight points (3G / 5A) in 18 games with Manitoba this season. He could make his Jets debut during his recall, but it isn’t a guarantee.
Markstrom stopped all five shots that he faced after replacing Ryan Miller in the Canucks blowout loss in Minnesota on Tuesday. Markstrom has gone 1-2-2 with a 2.87 GAA and .906 SV% in five starts and two relief appearances this season. The Canucks are reeling right now and Flyers team that has lost three of five.
Allen gave up three goals on 36 shots in the Blues win in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Allen has won three of his last four starts while posting a 1.51 GAA and .941 SV%. Allen has been great this season and tonight he will face the Predators for the second time—in the first meeting, Allen had his best outing of the season, posting a 45-save shutout back in November.
Crawford allowed two goals on 26 shots in the Blackhawks loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Crawford, who will face the streaking Oilers tonight. This will be Crawford’s third start against Edmonton, he has gone 2-0-0 with a 2.48 GAA and .932 SV% in their first two meetings.
Lehtonen made 34 saves on 35 shots in the Stars 5-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday. It was a fantastic outing for Lehtonen, who will start his second straight game tonight vs. the Flames. Lehtonen should make for a great start again tonight—Calgary has been winning recently, but have struggled on the road, going 4-9-2 this season.
Quick allowed five goals on 21 shots in the Kings loss in Ottawa on Monday. The loss snapped a six game winning streak for Quick, who lost his first game since November 25th. Tonight Quick will face a struggling Canadiens team on the road—he has gone 6-3-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .917 SV% away from home this season.
Haula has had a tough year, recording just four points (2G / 2A) in 28 games this season. With Jarret Stoll being claimed off of waivers on Tuesday, Haula could be a healthy scratch more often.
Stoll, who was claimed off of waivers from New York on Tuesday, will make his Wild debut against his former team. Stoll will replace Erik Haula and skate on the fourth line. He had one goal and two assists in 29 games before going on waivers.
Zajac will miss his seventh consecutive game with an upper-body injury, but there is a chance that he returns at some point this weekend. Monitor his status as we head into the weekend.
