Lack stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 2-0 loss to the Red Wings in his last start (Feb. 3). Tuesday was the first time Luongo skated with the team since before leaving for Sochi, so Lack will get the call in the first game back. Lack is 2-0-0 with a 1.44 GAA and .945 SV% in two starts vs. St. Louis this season.
Hutton gave up four goals on 23 shots in a loss to the Ducks in the Preds last game before the break. He has lost his last three starts while allowing a combined 10 goals. Head coach Barry Trotz said today that Hutton is still the team's starter, however Pekka Rinne is inching closer to a return, which would result in the end of Hutton's run as the Preds number-1.
Rinne has been sidelined since October with a bacterial infection following surgery to his hip. His assignment is a great sign that he is close to a return. He will likely start one or two games with Milwaukee to get him back into game shape at which point he will be recalled and presumably retain his job as the Predators starter.
Grabovski missed eight games leading up to the Olympic break, but is ready to return to the lineup tomorrow. Grabo has been held scoreless in his last five games, but sits with 12 goals and 21 assists (33 points) in 49 games this year.
Green missed the last five games before the Olympic break with a concussion, but he has passed concussion protocol and will play vs. the Panthers. Green has seven goals and 23 assists (30 points) in 51 games this season.
Gaborik is expected to start out on the fourth line with Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu, but also be featured on the top power-play unit with Nathan Horton and Ryan Johansen. The Blue Jackets are going to ease Gabo back into action, but don't be surprised if he is off of that fourth line and bumped up within a few shifts. Gaborik is a game changer who is only owned in 73% of Yahoo! leagues, if you're in one of those 27% of leagues where he is not, better rush to the waiver wire.
Flyers head coach Craig Berube said that TImonen has "no legs" right now, but he will only sit vs. the Sharks and be back in the lineup on Saturday vs. the Rangers.
Lundqvist will get the night off on Thursday after leading Sweden to a silver medal, but he will be back in the crease on Saturday vs. Philadelphia. Lundqvist won his last five starts before the Olympics and sits at 22-18-3 with a 2.44 GAA and .918 SV% on the season. 'King Henrik' stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 4-1 win vs.the Flyers on Jan. 12.
Lehtonen allowed one goal on 27 shots in win over the Coyotes in his last start before the Olmypics and then went 1-1 in Sochi for Finland. Lehtonen is 22-15-10 with a 2.48 GAA and .916 SV% this season and looks to make his first start of the season vs. Carolina on Thursday.
With Craig Anderson being away from the team because of the birth of his second child, Lehner will get the call on Thursday. Lehner is 7-10-3 with a 2.82 GAA and .919 SV% this season. In two previous starts vs. the Red Wings he is 1-1-0 with a 2.53 GAA and .914 SV%.
There had been rumours that the Rangers are inquiring about St. Louis, but it seemed unlikely that he would be dealt because he is the captain of the Lightning and has been with the team since 2000-01. There is no word whether his trade request is associated with originally being snubbed from Team Canada by GM Steve Yzerman (a team he was later named to and won a gold medal with). There is no guarantee that St. Louis will be dealt, but with the Lightning poised to make a playoff run, they will want NHL ready and likely proven playoff performer(s) in return. St. Louis has 25 goals and 31 assists (56 points) with a plus-15 rating in 58 games.
McQuaid had been listed as doubtful, so this was expected on Tuesday. Tonight will mark the 10th consecutive game that the blueliner has missed.
Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock says he thinks that Franzen is good-to-go, but he will wait until pre-game warmups to determine whether he is in or not. If he does play, he will skate on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi.
Howard did not play a game for Team USA in the Olympics, but that was expected. Heading into the Olympics he won three of five games with a 2.72 GAA and .895 SV%. With 24 games remaining, the Red Wings need him to be more consistent down the stretch if they are going to make the playoffs. Tonight vs. Montreal is a huge game for Detroit.
Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said that he expects van Riemsdyk to play on Thursday after being cleared medically on Wednesday. JVR has not skated with the Leafs since returning from the Olympics. In Sochi the line of JVR-Pavelski-Kessel was the USA's most dangerous in the preliminary round, the Leafs hope that JVR and Kessel will be able to bring that back with them as they get back underway tomorrow. van Riemsdyk has 24 goals and 23 assits (47 points) in 38 games this season.
Carlyle went on to say it is "not a positive step" but Bolland will still make the trip to Long Island as the Leafs prepare to take on the Islanders on Thursday. Bolland seems extremely unlikely to play on Thursday.
Ennis was injured on a hit during the third period of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Hurricanes. Zenon Konopka will draw into the lineup as Ennis comes out. Monitor his status for Friday's clash with the Sharks.
Carey Price is out for the next two games with a lower-body injury, so Tokarski has been recalled to serve as Peter Budaj's backup tonight vs. Detroit and could potentially draw the start tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Tokarski is 17-13-2 with a 2.34 GAA and .919 SV% in 34 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs this season.
Price re-injured himself during the Olympics, but still led Canada to the Gold medal. Peter Budaj was already scheduled to start tonight, but now Price will not travel to Pittsburgh for tomorrow's game. Dustin Tokarski has been recalled from Hamilton (AHL). At this point, there is no word whether Price will miss more than just two games.
Halak had an ugly Olympics, but with that behind him, he will look to pick-up where he left off with St. Louis. He had won four of his last six while posting a 2.00 GAA and .938 SV%. He lost his only other start vs. the Canucks this season, 3-2 in OT way back on Oct. 25.
