This is the first time that Ward has joined the Hurricanes for a full practice since getting injured. He has missed one month with a lower-body injury and will likely be out until after the Olympic break.
Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 35 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Friday. He was given Saturday off, so it looks like he will be back in the crease tonight vs. Washington. Bob is 1-1-1 with a 2.97 GAA and .910 SV% against the Capitals this season.
Bernier stopped 40 of 42 shots in a 3-2 win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Bernier made a number of great saves to preserve his 18th victory of the season. Tonight he is expected to face the Panthers for the first time this season. He comes into play tonight 6-4-1 with a 3.08 GAA and .915 SV% in 10 January starts.
van Riemsdyk missed practice on Wednesday but is back today and is expected to play tonight. van Riemsdyk has six goals and five assists (11 points) in his last 12 games.
Gleason was given a "maintenance day" on Wednesday but is expected to play tonight. Gleason has one goal, one assist, 33 hits and 22 blocked shots with a minus-6 rating in his first 12 games with the Maple Leafs.
Timonen injured his left foot whle blocking a first-period shot during Tuesday’s 5-0 win over the visiting Detroit Red Wings. He played briefly in the second period, but was then replaced and didn’t return. When asked after Wednesday morning’s practice if Timonen would play Thursday, Berube said, “yes.”
Crawford gave up one goal on 14 shots after replacing Antti Raanta on Tuesday. The problem was the one goal he allowed came in OT as the Flames downed the Hawks 5-4. Tonight he will go head-to-head with Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. In his only start vs. the Canucks this season, he stopped 36 of 37 shots in a 2-1 win.
Nabokov has not started since January 6, a night he stopped seven of eight shots before leaving the games with a quad injury. He made a brief 11 minute and 44 seconds appearance on Monday after replacing Kevin Poulin. He only faced one shot, but he stopped it… So that's a good sign. It is hard to predict how an outdoor game will go, especially under the lights.
Luongo gave up three goals on 19 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Oilers on Monday. The loss has Luongo sitting at 3-2-0 with a 2.37 GAA and .914 SV% in five starts since returning to the crease on January 18. Tonight he will get a second crack at the Blackhawks, they beat him on two of 29 shots in a 2-1 defeat in November.
Philips missed Tuesday's contest with an undisclosed injury and could miss his second straight game tomorrow. If he can't go, Patrick Wiercioch will stay in the lineup.
Greiss stopped all 30 shots that he faced in a shutout win over the Kings on Tuesday. With Mike Smith struggling and Greiss looking extremely sharp last night, it seems like an easy decision for head coach Dave Tippet. Greiss should be a great start tomorrow with the Sabres in town.
Anderson stopped 34 of 36 shots in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. It was a strong outing for Anderson, who registered his 17th win of the season. Tomorrow he will take on the Lightning for the second Thursday in a row. Last week he stopped 35 of 38 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss.
Niemi allowed two goals on 22 shots in a win over the Wild on last Wednesday. Niemi has won four in a row while posting a 2.18 GAA and .918 SV%. He draws a strong matchup against the Oilers tonight. He is 1-0-0 against Edmonton this year.
Ramo stopped all nine shots that he faced after replacing Reto Berra en route to a 5-4 OT win over the Blackhawks. It was a game full of offence which saw both teams yank their starting netminder. On Thursday he will face the Sharks for the third time this season, he is 0-2-0 with a 4.10 GAA and .871 SV% in the first two.
There are reports that Tanev is more like week-to-week and will be out until after the Olympic break. Yannick Weber wil return to regular shifts on defense while Dale Weise draws back into the lineup .
van Riemsdyk scored in the Maple Leafs 3-2 win over the Lightning last night. JVR has six goals and four assists (10 points) in his last 10 games. He has totalled 41 points (21G / 20A) in 53 games this season.
Bolland remains without a timetable, but he continues to skate regularly as he progresses towards a return.
Drewiske was expected to miss 5-6 months, but it has only been three which is a good sign in his recovery. He has yet to suit up in a game for the Habs this season.
Elliott was pulled after surrendering three goals on nine shots in a 7-1 loss to the Devils on January 21. He has lost each of his last three starts while giving up eight goals on just 44 shots (.818 SV%). He will face the Predators for the first time this season on Saturday and comes into play with a 13-4-2 record, 2.06 GAA and .917 SV% on the year.
Halak stopped all 23 shots he faced in a 3-0 shutout win over the Devils on Tuesday. It was his third straight victory and fourth shutout of the season. During his three-game winning streak he has registered a 1.31 GAA and .957 SV%. He heads into Carolina with a 11-3-1 record away from home this year.
