This comes as no surprise as Plekanec did not travel with the team to Florida, but flew back to Montreal in stead. He is attending to a family matter, which will allow tough-guy George Parros to dress in his place. Expect Danny Briere to bump up to the second line with Plekanec sidelined.
Price surrendered four goals on 30 shots in a 5-4 win over the Red Wings on Thursday. This is becoming a trend for Price. Give up three-plus goals, but still walk away with the W. He has won five of six with a 2.85 GAA and .911 SV%, but five of those six he has allowed three-plus, the one shutout really skews his GAA. He makes for a strong start vs. Dan Ellis and the Panthers.
Johnson stopped all 31 shots that he faced in a 2-0 win over the Avalanche on March 21. He served as Tuukka Rask's backup for the next three games, but will be back between the pipes this afternoon in Washington. Johnson has won his last five starts with a ridiculous 1.20 GAA and .954 SV%. If you are looking for a spot-start, he is as sure of a bet as you'll find. However, be aware of the Alex Ovechkin matchup.
McKenna was recalled to serve as Curtis McElhinney's backup until Sergei Bobrovsky (illness) was healthy enough to return. Bob traveled to Carolina with the team, so McKenna's services are no longer needed.
Bobrovsky did not dress on Friday, but will travel to Carolina and could be back in the crease tonight. He was reportedly feeling better on Friday, so as long as he continues to progress, he should draw the start in a must-win game for the Blue Jackets. Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards is expected to address the media at 4:30 pm ET, Bob's status will be known then.
D'Amigo will likely be inserted into the lineup tonight to bring some energy to the Maple Leafs. With the Red Wings in town, a team who rarely fights, D'Amigo will likely replace Colton Orr on the fourth line. D'Amigo is a strong two-way forward who excels on the penalty kill. He has one goal and one assist in 19 games this season.
Hillen was injured on Tuesday, but practiced multiple times throughout the week and appeared to be on track to be in the lineup vs. the Bruins this afternoon. However, he will take a seat and John Erskine will slide into the lineup.
Nilsson gave up four goals on 28 shots in a 5-4 win over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. The Islanders seem content just alternating Nilsson and Evgeni Nabokov, but neither have fantasy value at this crucial part of the season. His 3.55 GAA and .880 SV% don't exactly give you confidence in him at this point in his career.
MKhudobin stopped all 35 shots he faced in a 3-0 victory vs. the Panthers on Thursday. It had been hard for him to earn W's as of late, but he continues to play extremely well. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he has taken over the starter's job and posted a 2.20 GAA and .929 SV% in 28 starts. Tonight, it looks like he will face the Jackets for the fourth time this season. He is 2-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .937 SV% in the first three meetings.
Holtby stopped 34 of 36 shots in a win over the Sharks last Saturday. It was Holtby's first start since March 6th, and he only got the nod because Jaroslav Halak was a late scratch. Today, he faced a red-hot Bruins team that he has played well against this season. In their previous two meetings, Holtby is 1-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .950 SV%.
Girgensons has missed the last 11 games after suffered a lower-body injury on March 6th. The 20-year-old has six goals and 14 assists (20 points) in 61 games this season.
Rinne allowed four goals on 28 shots in a shootout loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday. Rinne has only won three of his last 10 starts with a 2.95 GAA and .898 SV%. Tonight, he will face the Stars in Dallas. Rinne has gone 4-4-0 on the road this season.
Lehtonen allowed three goals on 41 shots in a loss to the Blackhawks on Tuesday. He has closed the door on 96 of 101 (.950 SV%) shots he has faced in his last three starts. Lehtonen is rolling right now and draws a solid matchup tonight vs. the Predators. Nashville does not score a ton, but they put up six on the Sabres last night.
Carey who recently signed with the Blackhawks after played 38 games with St. Lawrence University of the ECAC. He had 18 goals and 19 assists (37 points) this season and will make his NHL debut on a line with Peter Regin and Brandon Saad.
Pavelec has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury, but it looks like he will be back tomorrow night. Monitor his status during the Jets' morning skate.
Ranger has been battling a stiff neck after a scary collision eight days ago. He has missed the last three games but taking part in warmup suggests he could be back tonight and the Leafs may return to seven defensemen.
Teravainen will slide out of the lineup in the second game of a back-to-back which means Peter Regin will dress. #TeuvoMania has averaged 12:44 TOI with no shots, no penalty minutes and no points in his first two NHL games. He is not showing up on the stat sheet yet, but the Blackhawks are pleased with the young Finns playmaking ability and are simply giving him the night off.
Bickell will miss his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. He should not be far from a return.
Raanta stopped 34 of 37 shots in a loss to the Flyers on March 18th. Raanta has not seen much crease time as of late, thus he has not recorded a win since January 12. He is 12-3-4 with a 2.45 GAA and .905 SV% this season. He should make for a good spot-start vs. the Senators.
Maatta being scratched is likely not a performance based decision, but simply getting a young defenseman some rest. He has played in 78 games this season (including the Olympics) which is a ton for a first year D-man, especially one playing over 20 minutes on most nights.
