It looks like Oshie will return to the Blues lineup tonight. He missed the last 15 games of the regular season with a foot injury. He had 20 points in 30 games this season. The Blues will need him to get on the scoresheet if they want to beat LA.
With TJ Oshie likely returning tonight for game 1 after missing the last 15 games, Tarasenko appears to be a healthy scratch. Tarasenko had just three assists in his last 15 games.
FYI. We might not know the starter until pre-game warmups. Fasth has never started a playoff game before so I would be shocked if it is not HIller tonight.
Jagr missed the last two games of the regular season with flu-like symptoms. He was brought to Boston for his past playoff play. He will be leaned on heavily for offense in their series with the Maple Leafs.
It looks like Peverley will be a healthy scratch for tomorrow's tilt with the Maple Leafs. He had just one goal, one assist and a minus-1 in his last nine regular season games.
Horton missed the last five games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He will very likely be back in the Bruins lineup tomorrow vs. the Maple Leafs.
Bozak missed the last two games of the regular season. Leafs expect him back for Game 1. He will jump back on the top-line with Kessel and JVR.
Hiller and Viktor Fasth both had good seasons, so the first sign of struggle for HIller and Fasth will likely get his shot. Hiller went 15-6-4 with a 2.63 GAA and .913 SV% this season. He was 0-1-0 with a 2.49 GAA and .879 SV% in two appearances vs. the Red Wings.
Howard was excellent down the stretch and got the Red Wings into the playoffs. He went 4-0-0 with a 0.75 GAA, .969 SV% and two shutouts in the final four games of the season. He was 2-1-0 with a 2.01 and .942 SV% vs. their first round opponent from Anaheim this season.
Pominville, who missed the final two regular-season games after being elbowed in the head by Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown last Tuesday, returned to practice Monday and traveled with the team to Chicago. While coach Mike Yeo wouldn’t definitively say Pominville would return, all signs point to it. Pominville returned to his line with Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Brodziak, was reinserted on the No. 1 power-play unit and even practiced 5-on-3 situations.
Elliott got off a solid start, then slumped. In February, he was 0-4 with a 4.67 GAA and .810 save percentage. After losing 4-1 to the Kings on Feb. 11, he did not re-appear for almost a month as rookie Jake Allen came to the forefront. Once Elliott came back he was great in the final month of the season, he went 11-2 with a 1.28 GAA and .948 SV%.
Quick had a solid season going 18-13-4 with a 2.45 GAA and .902 SV%. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs last season, but back surgery last summer prevented him from approaching that form until recently.
Still, John Tortorella has hinted he expects Clowe back for the playoffs, which along with Dorsett and a possible Staal return could strengthen a lineup that gave the coach concern after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Jersey in the regular-season finale.
“I don’t want to go down that road yet,” Staal said. “As of right now, I haven’t made a decision one way or the other. I think it’s gonna go day by day. If I feel good enough and make the decision to go, then I’ll go … I haven’t written myself off.”
Dorsett is not a good playoff fantasy option. However he would be a good piece for the Rangers to get back because he brings a physical brand of hockey that is perfect for playoff hockey.
The combination of Crawford and Ray Emery had the lowest goals against average this season. Crawford finished the season with a 19-5-5 record with a 1.94 GAA and .926 SV%. The Blackhawks are huge favorites for this series and in the Western Conference, making Crawford a great goaltending option in playoff fantasy leagues.
The Penguins kick off their series with the Isles tomorrow so we will have to wait and see if Crosby will be available for game 1. Monitor his status going forward.
Henrik Karlsson will be Corey Crawford's backup against the Wild on Tuesday.
Bolland missed the last three games of the regular season and will miss game 1 of the Blackhawks series with the Wild. Michael Handzus remains the second-line center, flanked by Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp -- what had been Bolland's spot for most of the season.
Coach Mike Yeo didn't say definitively if he will be available for Game 1, ... but he's obviously returning, which will deepen the Wild's lines against a Chicago team that isn't afraid to roll four. "[Pominville] looked good in practice today," said Yeo. "He's a big part of our team in a lot of areas. The offenisve threat that he is, smart player, plays in all situations for us, and as much as anything else, the experience that he has in the playoffs and his leadership, obviously he's a big part of our team."