Niemi allowed three goals on 22 shots in a 5-3 win over the Penguins on Thursday. After sitting for three of four games, Niemi stepped in and got the W against a very good Pittsburgh squad. The win has likely earned him his first back-to-back starts since Feb 1st-3rd. Niemi posted a 22-save shutout against the Habs in their first meeting.
Lundqvist gave up two goals on 24 shots in a 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes on Friday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak after Sochi. Since winning a silver medal, Lundqvist is 1-2-1 with a 3.77 GAA and .872 SV%. Today he faces a Wings team who have averaged 4.00 goals per game since the Olympics.
Crawford stopped 22 of 23 shots in a blowout 6-1 win over the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Crawford has alternated wins and losses (L,W,L,W) since the NHL resumed play However, with Chicago in Buffalo to take on the Sabres tonight, Crawford should have no problem ending that streak and stringing together two wins for the first time since Feb. 3/5.
Lack allowed five goals on 17 shots before being pulled for the third period on Thursday. Lack allowed as many goals on Thursday as he had in the last four games combined. Tonight he will make his third start against the Flames this year. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.95 GAA and .926 SV% in the previous two meetings.
Miller allowed one goal on 21 shots in a 2-1 win over Nashville on Thursday. Miller must be enjoying life in St. Louis. He has won his first three starts while stopped 58 of 63 shots (.921 SV%) that he has faced. In Buffalo, Miller faced an average of 35.28 shots per game (40 starts). With the Blues, he has seen an average of 21 shots through his first three starts. Today will be his toughest test yet, but you shouldn't worry too much.
Pavelec stopped 38 of 41 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Kings on Thursday. Despite the loss, Pavelec was excellent on Thursday, the Jets were dominated and Pav kept them in it throughout. He will get his fifth straight start this afternoon vs. the Senators. He is 2-1-1 with a 2.19 GAA and .938 SV% in his last four.
Ortio stopped 23 of 26 shots for his second straight win on Friday night. The W has earned him the call again tonight in the second game of a back-to-back set for the Flames. He has gone 2-1-0 with a 2.02 GAA and .926 SV% in his first three NHL starts. Tonight he gets the nod against a Canucks team who have seen better days.
The wait is over Capitals fans. After picking Kuznetsov 26th overall in the 2010 NHL draft, they have finally got him to North America. The 21-year-old had eight goals and 13 assists (21 points) in 31 games in the KHL this season. He is high-energy, highly-skilled prospect that can make an early impact if he adjusts well to the NHL game. He will practice with the Capitals on Sunday and likely play on Monday.
Klefbom was selected in the first-round (19th overall) in 2011. Klefbom will likely get a chance to make his NHL debut in the next few games, he has one goal and eight assists in 45 games with the Barons this season. The Oilers organization is extremely excited about Klefbom's future.
MacArthur was injured on Wednesday and was sent back to Ottawa to see a specialist. The hand specialist determined that Mac does not need surgery and could only miss one week. Mike Hoffman gets a promotion to the second line with MacArthur out.
Wellman will be in Washington by game-time and is expected to play tonight. Expect Wellman to centre the Capitals second line with Dustin Penner and Troy Brouwer on his wings. Wellman has two goals and one assist in 10 games with the Capitals this season.
Bryzgalov is expected to make his Wild debut on Sunday when Minnesota faces the Blues. He was 5-8-5 with a 3.01 GAA and .908 SV% with Edmonton before being traded. While those numbers are far from pretty, he goes from a team who gave up the sixth most shots in the NHL (32.3) to the team who allows the sixth least shots (28.0). However, the matchup vs. St. Louis forces you to look at your other options.
Nikitin is listed as doubtful for tonight's meeting with the Predators, but his presence on the morning skate suggests that there is a chance that he plays. Wait for an update following the skate.
Hanzal did not take part in the morning skate, but skated after the team got off of the ice. That would usually indicate a player who will not be in the lineup tonight.
Mason allowed four goals on 25 shots, but still walked away with the W on Wednesday. It was the second straight game the Capitals scored four on Mason, but still lost. Mason is on a three-game winning-streak despite posting a 3.29 GAA and .888 SV%.With Ray Emery still sidelined, the Flyers really have no choice but to start Mason vs. the Leafs.
Lehtonen stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 6-1 thrashing of the Canucks on Thursday. Lehtonen has won four of his last five starts while allowing just nine goals on 134 shots (.933 SV%). He will get the first start against the new-look Wild, who acquired Matt Moulson on Wednesday.
Smith stopped 24 of 26 shots in a 5-2 win over the Canadiens on Thursday. It was Smith's second win in a row and 22nd of the season. He has stopped 47 of 49 shots (.959 SV%) in his last two outings. Smith allowed three goals on 32 shots in a 4-3 win in his first start vs. the Capitals.
Hanzal has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, his absence this morning suggests that he will not be in the lineup tonight in Washington. The Coyotes are 2-0 without Hanzal, so there is no reason to rush him back if he is not 100 per cent.
Schlemko suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday. He played just 9:15 before spending the rest of the night in the training room. He will be replaced by Chris Summers tonight in Washington.
Whether or not Bolland plays is up to him. Bolland continues to work his way back from a severed achilles tendon. The Maple Leafs get set to go on a five-game road trip that spans eight days. The road-trip starts on Monday in Anaheim and wraps up on the following Tuesday (Mar 18), monitor Bolland's status throughout the trip.
