Minnesota has won four of their last five and will turn to Fluery for the third straight game on Thursday. Fleury has looked poised and motivated lately, riding a three-game winning streak, including saving 21 of 22 shots (.955 SV%) in his last outing, a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Minnesota enters action as sizeable -281 home favourites against the Anaheim Ducks.
The red-hot Rangers, riding a three-game winning streak, will turn to Shesterkin for the second straight game on Thursday. Shesterkin is riding a two-game shutout streak, saving 54 consecutive shots, and has been nearly impenetrable post-All-Star break, boasting a tremendous .951 SV% in 11 games (9-1-1). The Rangers enter action on Thursday as slight -109 road favourites against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
John Beecher will replace van Riemsdyk on Thursday as he is out of the lineup with an illness. The 34-year-old van Riemsdyk has been snake-bit lately, tallying only one point (0G / 1A) in his last 12 games.
Kevin Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Wotherspoon to re-enter the lineup after a two-game absence. Wotherspoon has six points (0G / 6A), 63 hits, and 54 blocks in 32 games this season.
Parker Wotherspoon will return to the Bruins lineup on Thursday as Shattenkirk will return to being a healthy scratch after playing eight straight games. Shattenkirk has been productive in those eight games, tallying five points (0G / 5A), 11 shots, and 12 hits.
With James van Riemsdyk battling an illness, Beecher will re-enter the Bruins lineup on Thursday. Beecher has played 39 games with Boston this season, tallying seven points (5G / 2A), but has not played with the team since January 13th. Recently, he has been active with the Providence Bruins (AHL), scoring eight points (4G / 4A) in 17 games.
With the recent departure of Kaapo Kahkonen in a trade to the New Jersey Devils, Chrona has started the last three games for the Sharks and will return to the crease on Thursday. In his last four games, Chrona allowed seven goals once but has been serviceable otherwise, keeping the opposition to three or fewer goals in the other three contests (1-2-1). That said, the Sharks are sizeable +267 road underdogs despite facing a Pittsburgh Penguins club that has been abysmal lately, being outscored 17-2 during a four-game losing skid.
The Penguins will turn to Jarry between the pipes for a third straight game as they attempt to snap a four-game losing skid in which they have been outscored 17-2. Jarry saved 37 of 39 shots (.949 SV%) in his last outing, a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins have lost seven of their last eight (1-6-1) but have a favourable matchup on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks and are -317 home favourites.
The Bruins suffered a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Monday and will switch to Ullmark between the pipes on Thursday. Despite only one victory in his last two starts (1-0-1), Ullmark has been sensational, allowing only three goals on 65 combined shots (.954 SV%). The Bruins enter action as sizeable -206 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that handily defeated 9-4 in January.
Ersson has been the go-to guy between the pipes for the Flyers lately and will return to the crease on Thursday for his fifth straight start. In his last outing, Ersson saved 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Less than a month ago, Ersson allowed four goals on 28 shots (.857 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers enter action as +108 home underdogs against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Khusnutdinov was the 37th overall pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old will make his NHL debut on Thursday and his professional North American debut. He has exclusively played in the KHL this point and had 20 points (6G / 14A) in 49 games with Sochi HC this season.
The Stars will return to Oettinger on Thursday after he allowed four unanswered goals in their last outing, a disappointing 4-3 regulation loss to the Florida Panthers. Before that, Oettinger was riding a four-game winning streak, allowing two or fewer goals three times and posting a .885 SV%. The Stars enter the action on Thursday as -184 home favourites against a New Jersey Devils club that has lost five of their last six (1-5-0).
Czarnik spent some time with the Red Wings earlier this season, scoring one point (0G / 1A) in 18 games, but has spent most of his time in the AHL. The 31-year-old Czarnik has 26 points (9G / 17A) in 36 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) this season. Daniel Sprong will be the odd man out of the lineup for the Red Wings.
Austin Czarnik will draw into the lineup for the Red Wings on Thursday in favour of Daniel Sprong. Sprong played only 7:41 time-on-ice in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and recorded an unsightly -4 plus/minus.
Chinakhov exited Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens after playing only 4:57 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. The 23-year-old forward has struggled lately, scoring only one point (1G / 0A) in his last eight games.
With Yegor Chinakhov out of the lineup battling an upper-body injury, Pyyhtia will make his season debut on Thursday. Pyyhtia was the fourth-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has 27 points (7G / 20A) in 57 games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season.
Marchenko did not play on Tuesday due to an illness but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, providing a sizeable boost for a team already without Sean Kuraly and Yegor Chinakhov. Marchenko has four points (1G / 3A) in his last eight games while being a healthy scratch once in that stretch.
The Senators are coming off a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, snapping a seven-game losing skid, courtesy of Joonas Korpisalo, but they will switch to Forsberg between the pipes on Thursday. Forsberg has not played since March 1st, when he allowed four goals on 29 shots (.862 SV%) in a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. That said, the Senators enter action as -120 road favourites against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets will return to Merzlikins between the pipes after a forgettable performance in his last outing. On Tuesday, Merzlikins allowed three goals on four shots (.250 SV%) before being pulled in the first period en route to a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Before that, Merzlikins had been playing well, allowing two or fewer goals in three straight starts (2-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter action as +109 home underdogs against the Ottawa Senators.
Ersson has been the go-to guy between the pipes for the Flyers lately and will likely return to the crease on Thursday for his fifth straight start. In his last outing, Ersson saved 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Less than a month ago, Ersson allowed four goals on 28 shots (.857 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers enter action as +108 home underdogs against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
