Backstrom allowed five goals on 37 shots in a loss to the Jets last Friday. He has allowed 24 goals in his last six starts (all losses) and sits at an ugly 2-9-2 with a 3.32 GAA and .893 SV% for the season. Tonight he will look to get his first home win as the Sabres travel to Minnesota.
Smith was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Oilers. Despite being yanked, he will face the Blue Jackets tonight. Smith holds a 9-3-3 record with a 2.91 GAA and. 903 SV% at home this season.
Mazanec allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 6-4 win over the Red Wings on Monday. He has won two in a row and will look to move that to three tonight in Boston. He allowed four goals on 29 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Bruins on December 23, look elsewhere tonight.
Soderberg missed the last two games with a head injury that he suffered last Friday. He has been solid, recording 19 points (5G / 14A) in 32 games this season.
Hamilton missed the last 10 games with what was believed to be a knee injury that he suffered on December 8 in Toronto. Hamilton has three goals and four assists with a plus-9 rating in 28 games this season. Kevan Miller is expected to be scratched with Hamilton returning.
Gonchar has lost the no-contact jersey which is a good sign that he is not far from returning to the Stars blueline. He will miss his fifth straight game tonight.
Bailey will miss his third straight game tonight, but is definitely nearing a return. He recorded three assists in his last four games and has totalled 13 points (4G / 9A) in 38 games.
Svedberg was expected to get a start during his last call-up, but injuries upfront forced him to be sent back to Providence. He could make NHL debut tonight after going 13-5-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .909 SV% in 22 games in the AHL. Overall, Svedberg is 50-13-5 in his AHL career. He has earned an NHL start and draws a good matchup vs. the Predators.
McElhinney allowed five goals on 23 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday. It was the second straight game that he has allowed five goals, pushing his GAA to 2.78. Sergei Bobrovsky will back-up tonight, so McElhinney's limited fantasy value is about to turn into no value. He has a tog matchup vs. a good Coyotes offence.
Lehtonen allowed two goals on 25 shots in a win over the Kings on Tuesday. It was his 16th win of the season and third in his last four starts. Tonight he gets the call against the Canadiens.In his first start against the Habs he allowed two goals on 24 shots in a 2-1 loss.
Mazanec allowed four goals on 25 shots in a 6-4 win over the Red Wings on Monday. He has won two in a row and will look to move that to three tonight in Boston. He allowed four goals on 29 shots in a 6-2 loss to the Bruins on December 23, look elsewhere tonight.
The Penguins start 2014 with some great news. Letang has missed the last nine games but his return to practice is a great sign that he is nearing a return from his elbow infection. The Penguins are in action on Friday, monitor Letang's status.
A former NHL team trainer familiar with Hertl's type of injury told CSNCalifornia.com the “best case” scenario for Hertl to return would be approximately 12 weeks. More likely, Hertl will be out of action from six to nine months, which would keep him out the remainder of the 2013-14 season.
Svedberg was expected to get a start during his last call-up, but injuries upfront forced him to be sent back to Providence. He could make NHL debut tonight after going 13-5-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .909 SV% in 22 games in the AHL. Overall, Svedberg is 50-13-5 in his AHL career. He has earned an NHL start and draws a good matchup vs. the Predators.
Nabokov allowed three goals on 38 shots in a win over the Bruins on Tuesday. Since returning from his groin injury he has played much better than he was before he was injured. He has won three of his seven starts with a 2.12 GAA and .925 SV% since December 14. He is a risky start tonight with the Blackhawks traveling to Long Island.
Grubauer allowed two goals on 37 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Senators on Monday. Tonight will mark his ninth start in the Capitals last 12 games, it appears he has a stranglehold on their starting job. He will face the Hurricanes who he beat on December 20.
Smith was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Oilers. Despite being yanked, he is expected to face the Blue Jackets tonight. Smith holds a 9-3-3 record with a 2.91 GAA and. 903 SV% at home this season.
Allen has appeared in 23 games with the Wolves this season, recording a 14-7-0 record. He has a 2.17 GAA to go along with a .922 SV% and two shutouts. He made his regular season NHL debut in 2012-13, going 9-4-0 in 15 appearances. In his NHL career, Allen has a 2.46 GAA, a .905 SV% and one shutout. WIth Jaroslav Halak sick, Allen may backup Brian Elliott tonight.
Sutter, 26, averaged 6:56 of ice time per game in 12 games for the Hurricanes this season before he was assigned to Charlotte on November 4. Since joining the Checkers he has scored two goals and earned 12 assists (14 points) in 22 games.
