The search for a second line centre in Chicago continues. Marcus Kruger will slide up and centre Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp tonight vs. Minnesota.
It doesn't sound like Kane is injured. Could be the flu. The Jets say they will know in a few hours if he can play tonight. Monitor his status as puck drop approaches.
Undeterred by the fact that Halak played last evening and gave up three goals on 21 shots, the Blues will go back to him tonight. He had a week off between starts so he is obviously rested enough to play in the back-to-back situation. He has a great chance to get back into the win column tonight when the Blues take on the Predators.
James Sheppard will enter the lineup in Wingels place.
Coach Ron Rolston said it's a "possibility" that Leino returns against the Lightning. The Sabres would need to clear a roster spot to activate Leino, and they could do so by placing defenseman Mike Weber on injured reserve. Leino has missed the last 11 games, and should provide a nice offensive boost for a Sabres team who is having a tough time scoring.
Burns is reportedly dealing with sore gums after taking a hit to the mouth vs. Calgary. Freddie Hamilton will remain in the Sharks lineup.
Niemi is off to a fantastic start to the 2013-14 campaign, he is 8-1-1 with a 1.68 GAA .927 SV%. Despite the Sharks dominating the Bruins on Thursday, he was outplayed by Tuukka Rask in a 2-1 loss. He will take on a 6-4-0 Habs team tonight, he is a must-start regardless of matchup.
Talbot allowed two goals on 27 shots in his NHL debut vs. the Flyers on Thursday. It was a solid effort by the 26-year-old but he was still on the hook for the loss. He will have an even tougher matchup on Saturday when he faces a veteran Red Wings team. On a busy NHL day, there are probably going to be better options for you.
Mason turned aside 30 of 31 shots in a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Thursday. It was just his second win of the season, despite having a 2.17 GAA and .930 SV%. He will face the Islanders who are on the tail-end of a back-to-back and are starting their backup, Kevin Poulin. Mason should be a fine start tonight.
He was skating on the fifth line in Panther's practice this morning. It appears he will be a healthy scratch despite being the Panthers leading goal scorer, four goals in 11 games.
It is highly unlikely that Lupul will be in the lineup for the second straight game. Carter Ashton was recalled this morning and will replace him in the lineup.
There is no word as to why Kane is absent from the skate, we will await an official word from the Jets.
Pavelec allowed three goals on 33 shots in another loss to the Predators on Thursday. He will face the Stars tonight, he gave up four goals on 32 shots in a start vs. Dallas on October 11th. On a busy Saturday, you can probably do better than Pavelec.
Grabner will return to the Islanders lineup after serving his two-game suspension for a hit on Nathan Gerbe. Grabner has two goals and six assists in eight games.
Saturday will be Poulin's second start of the season, he hasn't played since October 11th. With the Islanders in the second game of a back-to-back Poulin will face a struggling Flyers squad who rank 29th in the NHL in scoring - He is a solid spot start candidate.
Morin has four goals and four assists (eight points) in eight games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL). He has five career points in 13 games with the Blackhawks.
Mills has scored one goal and one assist in 31 career NHL games with the Devils.
Burns has missed the last two games and will likely miss tonight as well. This is a tough break for the Sharks defenseman turned forward who has four goals and four assists in eight games.
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said Schneider is “sore”, but they don’t consider his injury to be serious. He also said Brodeur would have started tonight even if Schneider was healthy.
Lindback has been limited to three appearances with the strong start that Ben Bishop has had. Just as important is the rough time Lindback has had. He has allowed nine goals in two starts and one relief effort. His GAA sits at 3.80 while his SV% is an ugly .839. The matchup with the Panthers is good, making him a decent last ditch effort at goalie stats on Sunday. The early confirmation will help you jump on his today.
