Niemi gave up five goals on 27 shots in a loss to the Blackhawks on Sunday. A matchup with Chicago is never an easy one, but the loss marked his sixth in his last seven starts. Tonight he faces the Lightning who are 0-2-0 on their current road-trip and have been outscored 11-5 in those two losses.
Linback allowed two goals on 15 shots in a relief effort on Sunday. He has not started since November 11 when he gave up two goals on 25 shots in a loss to the Bruins. Lindback is 1-4-0 with a 3.16 GAA and .875 SV% this season. He has a tough matchup tonight on the road vs. San Jose.
Hunwick made his season debut on Saturday, he played 17:27 but did not record a point. He returns to the AHL where he has two assists and a minus-2 rating in five games.
Mattias Tedenby will enter the lineup in Brunner's place tonight vs. Los Angeles. Brunner has failed to record a point in the last 10 games. He had seven points in the first 10 contests but has cooled off considerably. The entire New Jersey offence has struggled and ranks 25th in scoring.
Tedenby has been a healthy scratch in the last three Devils contests. He has one goal and a minus-3 rating in nine games. He is not fantasy relevant.
Thomas allowed two goals on 29 shots in a big shootout win over the Canucks on Tuesday. It was Thomas' second straight win and third in his last four starts. He gets the nod tonight against a skilled Oilers team who put up seven against Columbus on Tuesday.
Berra allowed two goals on 18 shots in a 2-1 OT loss to the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. Berra did have one incredible bicycle-kick looking save that should be a save of the year candidate, but he was still on the wrong end of the score board for the sixth time in eight appearances. Berra has a solid matchup tomorrow vs.Florida.
The Sabres tried to send Grigorenko to the AHL on a conditioning stint on Tuesday but it was denied by the NHL. With Grigorenko returning to Buffalo yesterday, he will be in the lineup tonight. The 19-year-old has struggled with just two goals and one assist in 15 games.
Leaving the ice first at an optional does not mean Lindback will start, hopefully head coach Jon Cooper will announce his starter after the skate. Linback allowed two goals on 15 shots in a relief effort on Sunday. He has not started since November 11 when he gave up two goals on 25 shots in a loss to the Bruins. Lindback is 1-4-0 with a 3.16 GAA and .875 SV% this season.
Burns has been scratched for the last 13 games, after taking a series of high hits that included a whack in the face from Ottawa goaltender Robyn Lehner on Oct. 12. He had four goals and four assists in his first eight games on a line with Thornton and Tomas Hertl, with seven of his eight points coming at even strength.
Smith surrendered three goals on 30 shots but still walked away with the win over Saturday. The W moved him to 8-0-1 with a 2.39 GAA and .921 SV% at home this season. Tonight the Coyotes welcome the Avalanche to town for the first time this season. It is a tough matchup for Smith, but his home record suggests he should have a strong night.
Scrivens allowed two goals on 21 shots against Tampa Bay on Tuesday for his fourth straight win. Since becoming the Kings starter he is 4-0-0 with a 0.99 GAA and .963 SV%. These numbers are expected to drop closer to his career numbers (2.58 / .916) but he remains a viable fantasy option as the Kings number-1.
Korpikoski left Saturday's game in the third period and did not return. The injury is not believed to be serious and he could return on Saturday.
Michalek was injured in the first period on November 14 vs. Chicago. He is a staple on the Coyotes top-pair so his absence is a tough loss for Phoenix. Consider him questionable for Saturday's meeting with Anaheim.
Morris missed the last five games after being injured on November 5. Morries has had a strong start to the season scoring four goals and adding six assists in 14 games. His return will stabilize the Coyotes blueline.
Whitney did not skate on a line in the morning skate, so he is very likely out tonight. He will miss his fourth straight game after being injured on October 9. He remains on IR.
Chaisson was hit in the face be a puck that deflected off of the stick of Jordie Benn in practice Wednesday. He was wearing a clear facemask along with his visor and skating in his normal spot this morning. “Yesterday, for an hour or two, it was kind of scary,” Chiasson said. “I’m glad I’m good. It’s part of the game, and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s going to be sore for a couple of days, but I’ll be OK to go tonight.”
Lehtonen stopped 42 of 43 shots in a win over the Canucks on Sunday. Lehtonen is 8-2-2 with a 2.10 goals against average and .930 save percentage since returning from a lower body injury on October 24. He has a good matchup vs. a low-scoring Rangers squad tonight.
Hossa missed the last three games, Chicago lost two out of three in his absence. Hossa has had a strong start to the season, posting nine goals and 15 points in 19 games. His plus-12 rating also leads the Blackhawks in that category. Hossa is expected to return to the top-line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp.
Burns returned to the top-line in practice yesterday which is a good sign. The Sharks will hit the ice for their morning skate shortly and we will have an update on Burns' status for tonight following the skate.
