With Bo Horvat returning to the Islanders' lineup on Saturday, Duclair will sit vs. the Rangers. Head coach Patrick Roy called it "heartbreaking" when deciding who to take out of the lineup and added that Duclair has "played well." Duclair has not scored in 10 games, picking up just three assists during that stretch.
Woll allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Maple Leafs' 6-3 win over the Penguins on Tuesday. Since returning to the Maple Leafs' crease in mid-December, Woll has gone 2-1-0 while stopping 81 of 89 shots (.910 SV%) in three games. Tonight he draws a tough matchup vs. The Senators, who have eon four of their last five games. Toronto are +116 home underdogs.
Luukkonen stopped 26 of 27 shots in the Sabres' win in New Jersey last Sunday. It was a great outing for Luukkonen, who had struggled in his two previous starts. Tonight he'll face the Bruins in Buffalo, where he has excelled this season. UPL has gone 4-1-0 with a 1.97 GAA and .921 SV% in five home games. The Sabres are -130 home favourites.
Bussi gave up three goals on 41 shots in the Hurricanes' shootout loss in Florida on December 19th. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Bussi, who has been outstanding this season, going 11-1-1 with a 2.11 GAA, .913 SV% and one shutout in 13 games. He is top-10 in the NHL with a 69.2% Quality Start%.
Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 22 shots in the Jets' 4-3 overtime loss in Utah last Sunday. Hellebuyck has now lost four in a row (0-2-2) while giving up 11 goals on 105 shots (.895 SV%). He draws a tough home matchup on Saturday with the Wild in town. Minnesota has won seven of their last nine games (7-1-1).
Hogberg is expected to serve as the Islanders' backup for both of their games this weekend, with David Rittich expected to start both games. Ilya Sorokin could be back as soon as Tuesday, at which point Hogberg will return to the AHL. He's 5-7-2 with a 3.08 GAA and .881 SV% in 14 AHL games this season.
With Ilya Sorokin (lower body) still on Injured Reserve, the Islanders will likely turn to Rittich in back-to-back games. The 33-year-old Rittich was excellent in yesterday's 2-0 win over the New York Rangers, saving all 27 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. He has a solid 2.25 GAA and .919 SV% in 14 games (9-3-2).
Sorokin's move to IR is retroactive to December 20th, which means he's eligible to return for their next game. Sorokin will travel to Columbus on Saturday, and could return as soon as Tuesday in Chicago. Look for David Rittich to start both of their games on their Saturday/Sunday back-to-back.
Horvat missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, but will play Saturday vs. the Rangers. Horvat, who will be back on the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman, has 19 goals and 12 assists (31 points) in 32 games this season.
Rittich stopped 31 of 32 shots in the Islanders' 2-1 win over the Devils on Tuesday. Rittich has played very well in his last three starts, going 2-0-1 while stopping 92 of the 97 shots (.948 SV%) that he's faced. Tonight he'll face the Rangers on home-ice, where he's gone 6-1-1 with a 2.08 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout this season.
Tomasek signed with the Oilers in the offseason after a lengthy career in Europe. He scored three goals with two assists (five points) in 22 games, but had been a healthy scratch for the last six games. He's expected to return to Farjestads BK Karlstad, where he led the team with 57 points (24G / 33A) in 47 games last season.
Seattle will turn back to Daccord between the pipes after Philipp Grubauer got the start in the front-end of the Kraken's back-to-back on Monday. Daccord was excellent in his last start, stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced in a 4-2 win in San Jose on Saturday. The 29-year-old goaltender owns a 9-9-4 record and .899 SV% on the season. Daccord and the Kraken enter action on Tuesday at +200 on the money line.
Hart is coming off his worst performance since debuting with the Golden Knights at the beginning of the month, allowing four goals on 21 shots (.810 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. That said, the Golden Knights seem committed to the 27-year-old goalie, who has a 2.56 GAA and .903 SV% in six games (3-1-2). The Golden Knights enter Tuesday's contest as -203 home favorites against a San Jose Sharks team on a two-game losing streak (0-2-0).
The Kings are set to play their second game in as many nights on Tuesday, so it will be Pheonix Copley getting the nod between the pipes. Copley made just a single start for the Kings last season, spending the majority of the last two seasons with the Ontario Reign (AHL). The 33-year-old netminder has a 7-6-0 record and .885 SV% in 13 AHL starts this season. The Kings enter action on Tuesday at -235 on the money line.
Ersson will make his 14th start of the season when the Flyers travel to Chicago on Tuesday. Ersson was tagged with a fourth consecutive loss in his last start, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 5-4 shootout loss in New York on Saturday. The 26-year-old netminder carries a 5-4-4 record and .867 SV% into Tuesday night's game, where the Flyers enter action at -120 on the money line.
The league-leading Colorado Avalanche will head into their final game before the Holiday Break with Wedgewood tending the twine. The 33-year-old Wedgewood has been outstanding for the Avalanche this season, posting a 2.10 GAA and .920 SV% in 22 games (15-1-4). The career backup and journeyman goaltender, not even midway through the 2025-26 season, has a chance of tying his career-high 16 wins that he recorded in the 2023-24 season with the Dallas Stars. Colorado enters the action on Tuesday as sizable -241 home favorites against a Utah Mammoth team on a three-game winning streak.
