Staal missed yesterday's practice but was on the ice for the optional skate this morning, so it is not much of a surprise to see him in the lineup tonight. Staal has just two goals and three assists in his last 12 games. Staal has posted nine goals and 16 assists (25 points) in 37 games vs. the Rangers.
Fleury allowed two goals on 31 shots in a 3-2 win over the Ducks on Friday. He was given last night off in the first game of a back-to-back, but starts tonight in search for his 34th win of the season. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .935 SV% vs. the Capitals this season.
Torres will likely rest with former Maple Leaf Mike Brown getting in the lineup. Torres has three goals and two assists with a plus-4 rating in five games coming off of a torn ACL which cost him four months. Monitor his status in the pre-game warmups.
Miller stopped 26 of 27 shots in a 2-1 win over the Avalanche on Saturday. He was given the second night of the back-to-back off, but should be back in the cage tonight vs. Dallas. He has started his Blues career with a 4-0-0 record, 1.50 GAA and .933 SV%. He went from a second-tier goalie to a must-start after being traded. For those of you who held onto him in Buffalo, plug him in and enjoy the return for your patience.
Reimer allowed two goals on 33 shots in a loss to the Blue Jackets on March 3. He has clearly fallen behind Jonathan Bernier on the depth chart. Bernier is making a case for a Vezina Trophy, while Reimer has not won a game since January 23. He gets the call vs the Sharks. He stopped 37 of 40 shots in a 4-2 loss the first time he faced San Jose.
Niemi stopped all 27 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over the Habs on Saturday. He has won each of his last two starts while stopping 46 of 49 shots (.939 SV%). He will face a Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, JVR line who have arguably been the best line in the NHL over the last three months.
Obviously great news to hear that Peverley is doing well after a scary incident on Monday. His NHL future is in question after a such an event. If you remember a similar situation happened in Detroit years ago with Jiri Fischer. Fischer was forced to retire following the episode, hopefully for Peverley that is not the case.
Price will miss his seventh straight game with a lower-body injury he sustained in the Olympics. He took part in his first full practice today, so he is definitely nearing a return. His next chance to return is Saturday vs. the Senators.
Paajarvi was a healthy scratch on Sunday, but will get back in the lineup tonight. Paajarvi has six goals and four assists (10 points) in 42 games this season. He has played under 10 minutes in five of the last seven games, so his fantasy value is non-existent at this point.
Volchenkov has not dressed in the last three games, but will suit up tonight in Philly. Volchenkov has no goals and seven assists with a minus-1 rating in 46 games this season.
Gustavsson will not dress for a second straight game, but he said that his current groin ailment is not as serious as the last one. Consider Gustvasson day-to-day.
Mueller has no points in two games with the Stars this season. In Texas he has recorded 24 goals and 29 assists in 57 games. His 53 points is ranked 10th in AHL scoring.
Sceviour has scored three goals with one assist in eight games with the Stars this season. While in Texas he has recorded 32 goals and 31 assists (63 points) in 54 games. His 32 goals leads the AHL while 63 points sits second on Texas and third in the AHL. He could stay with the Stars for awhile with Rich Peverley's future uncertain right now.
Chiasson did not travel to St. Louis with the Stars because he was shaken up by the Rich Peverley collapsing incident last night. Chiasson is reportedly doing better today. Colton Sceviour and Chris Mueller will be recalled to replace Peverley and Chiasson tonight.
Smith allowed three goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 shootout win over the Lightning on Monday. Smith reportedly felt good after the contest and earned himself the start on back-to-back nights. He draws another good matchup tonight at the BB&T Center where he will take on the 24-33-7 Panthers.
Kuemper was finally given a night off on Sunday, but will be back in the cage tonight vs. Edmonton. He allowed four goals on 38 shots in a loss to the Stars on Saturday. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the young netminder. He has gone 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA and .976 SV% against the Oilers this year.
Reimer allowed two goals on 33 shots in a loss to the Blue Jackets on March 3. He has clearly fallen behind Jonathan Bernier on the depth chart. Bernier is making a case for a Vezina Trophy, while Reimer has not won a game since January 23. He could get a shot at the Sharks tonight, but we will not know until warmups. He stopped 37 of 40 shots in a 4-2 loss the first time he faced San Jose.
Halak gave up three goals on 20 shots in a loss to the Penguins last night. The Caps were dominated by Crosby's line, which has become a regular occurrence in Caps-Pens games. He will get a second taste at the rivalry tonight in Pittsburgh. He has stopped 48 of 53 shots (.906 SV%) in his first two starts with Washington.
Tyutin will miss his eighth straight game after suffering an ankle injury in the Sochi Olympics. With Ryan Murray out for the season and the Blue Jackets in the thick of the playoff race, they could use Tyutin's services as soon as possible. This is a step in the right direction for the 30-year-old.
Laich has been banged up as of late and did not travel to Pittsburgh for the second game of the home-and-home with the Penguins. Casey Wellman will slide into the lineup with Laich out. This could open the door for Evgeny Kuznetsov to play top-6 minutes in his second career game.
