Hutton was placed on IR on Monday and will miss at least three games this week, but the Predators do not have a back-to-back so look for Pekka Rinne to start all three. With Hutton out, the Predators have recalled Marek Mazanec.
Schneider allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Devils win over the Blackhawks last Friday. Keith Kinkaid got the nod on Sunday, so Schneider will be back in goal tonight vs. the Blues. Schneider has won three of his last four while posting a 1.72 GAA and .940 SV%. However, he is a risky start vs. a red-hot Blues team.
Neuvirth stopped all 28 shots that he faced in the Flyers 3-0 shutout win over the Jets on Saturday. Neuvirth now leads the NHL with three shutouts. He has three wins, three shutouts, not bad. Neuvirth comes into play with a 1.81 GAA and .945 SV% in eight outings and draws a strong matchup tonight. The Avalanche have lost four of five, but have averaged 3.00 goals per game over that span.
Karlsson missed the start of the season with a lower-body injury, but has recorded two assists in four games since returning from his injury. Karlsson, who was the Sharks’ rookie of the year last season, skated with Tommy Wingels and Matt Nieto on the third line in Monday’s practice, so look for him to make his season debut on Tuesday.
Smith was pulled after allowing three goals on 17 shots in the Coyotes’ 4-1 loss to the Rangers last Saturday. Anders Lindback got the start last night, so it looks like Smith will start tonight in Los Angeles. Smith has been horrible recently—he has lost three of four while recording an ugly 5.20 GAA and .827 SV%.
Anderson allowed two goals on 40 shots in the Senators’ win over the Jets last Thursday. Andrew Hammond got the nod on Saturday, but they will go back to Anderson tonight in Nashville. Anderson has won three of his last four while registering a 2.89 GAA and .916 SV%. The Predators come in having lost three of their last four.
Andersen allowed two goals on 36 shots in the Ducks win over the Blue Jackets on Friday. Andersen has now won three straight games while posting a 2.00 GAA and .960 SV%. It was a rough start to the season for Anaheim, but they’ve now won four consecutive and Andersen makes for a must-start tonight vs. Arizona.
Smith missed Monday’s practice because of an illness, so his status for Tuesday’s game is uncertain. Monitor his status during tomorrow’s morning skate, but if he can’t play, look for Jakub Kindl to return to the lineup.
Mrazek made 32 saves on 33 shots in the Red Wings 2-1 OT win in Toronto last Friday. He also stopped both shots that he faced after replacing the injured Jimmy Howard in Sunday’s loss. Mrazek has been great for the Red Wings and comes in having won three of his last four while posting a 1.96 GAA and .934 SV%.
Datsyuk skated on the Red Wings top line with Henrik Zetterberg and Dylan Larkin on Monday, but he will still be held out of the lineup on Tuesday. He is nearing his season debut, so monitor his status leading up to Friday’s game.
Parise missed Saturday’s game because of a sprained MCL. He was listed as week-to-week, but head coach Mike Yeo gave a more detailed update on Monday. Parise is expected to miss at least the next five games.
Scandella will be held out of Tuesday’s game because of personal reasons. He will be replaced by Nate Prosser.
Havlat skated on the Blues second line with David Backes and Robby Fabbri and is expected to skate there in his debut on Tuesday. Havlat had 14 points (5G / 9A) in 40 games with New Jersey last season.
Allen stopped all 45 shots that he faced for the shutout win over the Predators last Saturday. It was a tremendous performance from the young netminder, who will start for the sixth time in the last seven games. In his previous five starts, plus one relief appearance, Allen has gone 5-1-0 with a minuscule 1.03 GAA and .968 SV%. He is one of the hottest goalies right now and is a must-start in New Jersey.
Stralman missed Monday’s practice and is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. the Sabres. Monitor his status during Tuesday’s morning skate.
Paquette missed Monday’s practice because of an undisclosed injury. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Paquette is not guaranteed to be in the lineup on Tuesday.
Bernier has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury but he was back on the ice for practice on Monday. The Maple Leafs have a two-game road trip this week, but it seems unlikely that Bernier will play on Tuesday in Dallas, Thursday’s contest in Nashville seems more likely.
Berra turned aside 31 of 33 shots, but it was not enough as the Avalanche fell short last Friday vs. the Rangers. Despite the loss, Colorado will go back to Berra tonight in Philadelphia. He comes in with a 1.85 GAA and .943 SV% and should make for a good start against a Flyers team that has lost six of seven while averaging just 1.71 goals per game.
Nystrom has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury and on Monday he was placed on IR in order to make room for Marek Mazanec to be recalled.
