Andersen stopped all 28 shots that he faced in a 3-0 win over the Blues on Sunday. The win moved him to 5-0-0 with a 1.38 GAA and .950 SV% on the season. He is off to the best start of any goalie in the NHL and is an absolute must-start tonight vs. the Sabres.
Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau had said recently that he wanted to get Fistric into the lineup soon; and it will happen tonight as he replaces Clayton Stoner. Fistric has a career-high of 10 points ('09-'10) so he is not a fantasy option.
The Blues have reportedly been hit hard by the flu bug. They will take on the Canucks tomorrow, so monitor Steen's status during the morning skate.
Elliott surrendered three goals on 25 shots in a 3-0 loss to Anaheim last Sunday. The defeat moved Elliott to 1-2-1 with a 1.73 GAA and .924 SV% in four starts this season. He will make start number-5 tonight vs. the Blackhawks. He was 10-1-0 at home last season and is already 1-1-0 this year.
Grabovski's movement to IR means that he is ineligible to play on Thursday, but could return on Saturday. It was likely a roster move to allow Lubomir Visnovsky to be activated from IR and play tomorrow.
Kuemper allowed two goals on 26 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Ducks last Friday. He had nearly one week off after sitting on Sunday in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old couldn't extend his shutout streak to three games but it was still a nice start vs. a great Ducks team. Tonight should be another good night for Kuemper as the Wild welcome a 2-2-1 Coyotes team.
Howard allowed two goals on 36 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Howie looked unbeatable through 56 minutes, but Alex Galchyuk tied it up with 3:09 left. He is 2-1-2 with a 1.77 GAA and .937 SV% in his first five starts, but draws a tough matchup tonight vs. the Penguins.
Crawford, who was originally scheduled to start on Tuesday, missed his start due to an upper-body injury and is danger of missing Thursday and Friday's back-to-back because of the injury. Antti Raanta will draw a second straight start on Thursday if Crawford is unavailable.
Lehtera missed Sunday's game and Tuesday's practice because of the flu, but he was back on the ice this morning, which suggests that he will be in the lineup on Thursday.
Ebbett was sent down on Monday and played with WBS last night, recording no points but two shots on goal.
Harrington, 21, was sent down on Monday and played with WBS last night, recording no points but two shots on goal.
Bortuzzo, 25, has not played yet this season because of an upper-body injury. Bortuzzo has two goals and 12 assists (14 points) in 75 career NHL games. He will have to battle with Simon Despres for playing time on the Penguins blueline.
Grabovski skated on his own Tuesday, but has joined his teammates this morning. This is a positive sign that Grabo is not far from a return. He is doubtful for Thursday's game vs. the Bruins, but could be back on Saturday vs. Dallas.
Given the state of the city of Ottawa right now, there is a good chance that the game between the Maple Leafs and Senators will be postponed. However, the Senators are preparing as if the game will go on, if it does, Anderson will start.
Reimer allowed four goals on 35 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Red Wings last Thursday. Toronto did not have their best effort on Friday and it resulted in Reimer's worst outing of the year. Tonight he is expected to get the call against a Senators team he has been really good against in his career (9-2-1 with a .944 SV%)
Coburn took part in warmups and it appeared as if he was going to return to the lineup, but he ended up missing his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury. He could return Wednesday vs. the Penguins.
Lehtonen allowed six goals on 37 shots in a OT loss to the Flyers on Saturday. It snapped his modest two-game winning streak and was the first time he allowed more than two goals in a game this season. Tonight, he will face a Canucks team he was 3-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .971 SV% against last year.
Rinne was given Saturday night off after stopping all 31 shots that he faced in a 2-0 win over the Jets on Friday. Rinne is back in elite form to start 2014-15. After a rough 2013-14 due to injuries, he is 3-0-1 with a 1.23 GAA and .948 SV%. He is a must-start tonight with the Arizona Coyotes in town.
Optimism is fading that Horton, 29, will be able to play this season and there is growing concern that his career might be finished. Horton signed a seven-year, $37.1 million dollar contract last summer and has only suited up in 35 games with Columbus. Horton has been diagnosed with “degeneration” of the entire lumbar region of his spine. Surgery has not been scheduled or ruled out, but it is viewed as a last resort. It’s a delicate procedure, with no guarantee of relief.
Tonight will mark Rask's first start since last Thursday when he was yanked in the third vs. Montreal after allowed five goals on 23 shots. It has not been an ideal start to the season for Rask or the Bruins and things will not be easy on them tonight with the San Jose Sharks in town. That said, Rask is elite and does not belong on your bench.
