Morris missed the last five games due to a personal matter. He returned to the team last Friday but was held out of the last two contests so he could regain his legs. With Zbynek Michalek on IR Morris will slide into the lineup vs. the Maple Leafs.
Briere will serve as a healthy scratch tonight for the first time since coming to the Canadiens. It has been a struggle for the 36-year-old veteran this season. He has recorded five goals and five assists in 26 games. In his last contest he saw what is likely a career-low 4:27 TOI. You have to consider Briere's contract to be a massive disappointment at this point.
Hutton stopped 24 of 27 shots in Thursday's loss to the Blackhawks. It was a tough matchup so expectations were not too high, but he still had a solid game. It would be his fifth consecutive start if he takes on the Lightning tonight. Hutton is 3-1-0 with a 1.64 GAA and .949 SV% since reclaiming the starting role.
Zetterberg will miss his ninth straight game tonight and will miss the next two games as well, but it sounds like he will be in the lineup on December 28 at Florida.
Bozak will miss at least another four games, but monitor his status prior to the December 29 meeting with the Hurricanes.
Neal has been on-fire when in the lineup tonight. He has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists (20 points) in 16 games. He will skate on a line with Jussi Jokinen for sure, who his other linemate is remains to be seen.
Jones stopped all 24 shots he faced to shutout the Oilers on Tuesday. Where did this guy come from? 6-0-0 with a 0.82 GAA, .972 SV% and two shutouts in his first six NHL starts. Pretty impressive stuff from the 23-year-old. He appears to be getting the start at home tonight with the Sharks in town. Jones has yet to allow a single puck by him in Los Angeles, so despite the bad matchup you have to ride the hotstreak until some one bursts his bubble.
Dubnyk gave up four goals on 40 shots in a loss to the Canucks on December 13. December has not been overly kind to Dubnyk who is 3-3-1 with a 3.75 GAA and .888 SV%. He gets the call tonight due to recent success vs. the Avalanche, but they are still a quality side and he is a risky start as always.
Zatkoff stopped 28 of 29 shots in a win over the Red Wings on Saturday. Zatkoff has played very well when called upon this season, he has won five straight and is 5-2-0 with a 2.53 GAA and .911 SV%. He has a decent against a Josh Harding-less Wild squad.
DeKeyser has been sidelined since November 19, but is eligible to come off of LTIR for Saturday's game. He has been productive in his first full NHL season, registering two goals and seven assists in 22 games.
The Coyotes have recalled Rostislav Klesla to fill out the 23-man roster. Expect Derek Morris to slide back into the lineup tonight against the Maple Leafs.
Lehtonen gave up six goals on 48 shots in a blow-out loss to the Avalanche on Monday. He will get his second start of the season against Vancouver. In the first meeting he stopped 42 of 43 shots in a 2-1 win.
Luongo allowed two goals on 32 shots in a shootout loss to the Wild on Tuesday. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Bobby Lu. He will take on Kari Lehtonen and the Dallas Stars tonight. It will be the second time he has seen the Stars this season, in the first meeting he stopped 21 of 23 shots in a 2-1 loss.
Schwartz missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury but will return tonight on a line with T.J Oshie and Alex Steen.
Smith stopped 25 of 27 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday. For the straight game Smith has held his opponents to two goals, but the Coyotes usually potent offence has been unable to muster enough goal-support for the 6-foot-4 netminder. He is expected to get the call in Toronto tonight. Smith is 5-5-3 with a 3.09 GAA and .914 SV% on the road this season.
Huberdeau has missed the last two games because of a foot injury he suffered on December 13. He was skating on a line with Nick Bjugstad and Scottie Upshall in this morning's skate, which suggests he will be back in the lineup vs. the Senators. Huberdeau has seven goals and eight assists (15 points) in 33 games.
Varlamov allowed two goals on 33 shots in a win over the Stars on Sunday. The win was his 15th of the season and he will be looking for number-16 tonight against the Oilers. He is 9-5-1 at home and is 2-2-1 with a 3.32 GAA and .887 SV% in December.
Lehtonen gave up six goals on 48 shots in a blow-out loss to the Avalanche on Monday. After leaving the ice first this morning it looks like he will get his second start of the season against Vancouver. In the first meeting he stopped 42 of 43 shots in a 2-1 win.
Johnson stopped five of seven shots in relief of Tuukka Rask last Saturday in Vancouver. Johnson has won his last five straight starts while allowing just nine goals and stopping 136 of 145 shots (.938 SV%). He makes for a solid spot-start option against the Sabres tonight.
Hedman has missed the last six games after being injured on December 5. Hedman appears to be finally coming into his own in the NHL. The 2009 second overall pick has six goals and nine assists (15 points) with a minus-3 rating in 28 games.
