NHL Hockey Player News

Holtby only had to make 10 saves to earn the victory in the Capitals 2-1 win over the Islanders in Game 7 on Monday. He finished the series at 3-3 with a 1.63 GAA and .943 SV%. Now he gets a crack at the New York Rangers—Holtby was 1-3-0 with a 3.06 GAA and .897 SV% against New York this season. He posted a 2.22 GAA and .922 SV% when the Capitals lost in seven games to the Rangers in the 2013 playoffs.

Lundqvist made 37 saves in the Rangers Game 5 win over the Penguins last Friday. They have been off for nearly a week now, but will start the second round on Thursday vs. Washington. King Henrik has gone 2-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .929 SV% against the Capitals this season. The last time he faced Washington in the playoffs, he posted a 1.65 GAA, .947 SV% and two shutouts in the seven-game win in 2013.

Mrazek surrendered four goals on 27 shots in the Red Wings 5-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 6. Detroit’s defence did not play well in front of Mrazek and if it weren’t for him the game would have been out of hand early. Tonight he will look to push the Red Wings into the second round, but he will be missing Niklas Kronwall (suspended) and Marek Zidlicky (concussion) in front of him.

Tonight will be Kindl’s first playoff game of the season. He has five points (1G / 4A) in 18 career NHL play off games. After serving as a healthy scratch in the first six games of the series, he will get in tonight because Marek Zidlicky is out with a concussion.

Marchenko, 23, failed to register a point in the first two games of the series. He sat the last four games, but with Niklas Kronwall suspended, Marcheko will get back into the lineup tonight. Overall he has two points (1G / 1A) in 15 games with the Red Wings this season.

Zidlicky suffered a concussion in Game 6 and will miss his first game of the season tonight in Game 7. He leads the league in games played this season with 90, having played 84 regular season games and six playoff games. With Zidlicky out, Jakub Kindl will get back into the lineup.

Kucherov returned to the game after the hit and is not feeling any ailments after being levelled by Kronwall. Luckily for the Lightning, they will have Kucherov while the Red Wings will not have Kronwall as a result of the hit.

Bishop allowed two goals on 24 shots in the Lightning’s 5-2 win over the Red Wings in Game 6. He looked shaky in the 3rd period, but Detroit was unable to get one past the 6-foot-7 net minder. He has posted gone 3-3 with a 2.18 GAA and .904 SV% in the series and if he doesn’t win tonight he will be hitting the golf course.

Gibson missed the entire first round against the Jets but will return to the lineup fir Game 1 and serve as Frederik Andersen’s backup. Gibson was 2-2 with a 2.69 GAA and .919 SV% in four games in last year’s playoffs. If Andersen falters, they won’t hesitate to go to Gibson again.

With John Gibson sidelined by an upper-body injury it has been all Andersen to this point in the postseason. After struggling a bit last season, posting a 3.10 GAA and .899 SV% in seven starts, Andersen has been perfect in 2015, going 4-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .924 SV% vs. the Jets. In three starts against the Flames this season, Andersen went 2-0-1 with a 2.60 GAA and .907 SV%.

Kronwall has been suspended for what the NHL’s department of Player Safety deemed as a “charge” for his hit on Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. Kronwall has no previous history of fine or suspension, so he has only been given one game and will be back for Game 1 in Montreal, should the Red Wings get by the Lightning tonight.

Hiller will return to Anaheim to take on the team that simply gave up on him last year. After spending seven seasons in Anaheim, Hiller signed with the Flames this offseason. Hiller went 1-2-0 with a 3.43 GAA and .889 SV% in three starts and one relief appearance against the Ducks this season. Despite the regular season struggles against his former team, Hiller comes in as a confident goaltender after posting a 2.20 GAA and .931 SV% in the first round.

Teravainen had one assist in two games in the first round but it looks like he will be in the lineup for Game 1 on Friday. With Teravainen likely back in, look for Kris Versteeg to be a healthy scratch.

Versteeg had one goal in six games during the first round and it looks like he will be a healthy scratch in Game 1 on Friday. With Versteeg likely out, Teuvo Teravainen is expected to get back into the lineup.

Burrows reportedly fractured and dislocated ribs in Game 3 when a linesman fell on him while trying to break up a fight between him and Flames defenseman Kris Russell.

Crawford struggled mightily in round 1, he was pulled in Game 1, allowed six goals in Game 2 and didn’t play until he replaced Scott Darling in the Blackhawks 4-3 win in Game 6. He stopped all 13 shots that he faced in that game which was enough for coach Joel Quenneville to give him the Game 1 start vs. Minnesota. Crawford was 2-2-0 with a 2.02 GAA and .948 SV% vs. the Wild this season.