NHL Hockey Player News

Blackwood started three straight games while Scott Wedgewood was injured, but it appears the Avalanche will return to an even goalie rotation after Wedgewood made his return on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Blackwood returns to the crease against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, following a 23-save performance (.920 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Colorado has received exceptional goaltending regardless of who is tending the twine, and Blackwood has been no exception, posting an excellent 2.21 GAA and .920 SV% in 10 games (8-1-1). Colorado enters Thursday's contest as significant -224 home favorites against a Panthers team that played last night and is riding a three-game winning streak.

McAvoy has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on November 15th and has undergone a challenging recovery, but appears to be nearing his return, possibly as soon as Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. He returned to practice on Monday and will likely be reinserted onto the Bruins' top powerplay unit upon his return. The 27-year-old McAvoy was having a productive season before his injury, despite not scoring a goal, but tallying 14 assists through 19 games.

The Bruins are on a three-game winning streak and will turn to Korpisalo on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 31-year-old Korpisalo was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 37 of 39 shots (.949 SV%) in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. That said, he has been inconsistent this season, posting a 3.38 GAA and .888 SV% in 12 appearances (5-6-0).

With Hugh McGing trying into the lineup for his season debut, Luff will head to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Luff has zero points, a -2 plus/minus, and is averaging 8:09 time-on-ice through two games this season.

McGing was drafted by the Blues in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but has only worked his way into six career NHL games. The 27-year-old forward has six points (4G / 2A) in 18 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) this season.

Blackwood started three straight games while Scott Wedgewood was injured, but it appears the Avalanche will return to an even goalie rotation after Wedgewood made his return on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Blackwood returns to the crease against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, following a 23-save performance (.920 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Colorado has received exceptional goaltending regardless of who is tending the twine, and Blackwood has been no exception, posting an excellent 2.21 GAA and .920 SV% in 10 games (8-1-1). Colorado enters Thursday's contest as significant -224 home favorites against a Panthers team that played last night and is riding a three-game winning streak.

Hart has been serviceable since returning to the NHL, but is coming off his first loss, allowing four goals on 27 shots (.852 SV%) in a 5-4 shootout loss to the New York Islanders. The 27-year-old Hart has a 2.80 GAA and .889 SV% in three games (2-0-1) and will have started in four of six Golden Knights' games since his debut.

Carter Hart has started the previous two games for the Golden Knights, but head coach Bruce Cassidy wants to keep Schmid in the rotation and will turn to him on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 25-year-old Schmid was excellent in his most recent outing, saving all 24 shots he faced in a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils for his second shutout of the season. Schmid has a 2.35 GAA and .903 SV% in 16 games (10-2-4). The Golden Knights enter Thursday's contest as -143 road favorites against a Flyers team that is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.

Ellis was perfect, saving all six shots he faced, before exiting Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers later in the first period due to an upper-body injury. The severity of Ellis' injury is unclear, but he will miss at least a week after being placed on Injured Reserve. Expect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon to occupy the Sabres' crease during his absence.

The Oilers have played better lately, collecting a point in four of their last five (3-1-1), and will roll with Skinner between the pipes on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 27-year-old Skinner has been unreliable on many nights this season, posting a 2.91 GAA and .887 SV% in 22 games (10-8-4). That said, he is amid his best four-game stretch of the season (2-1-1), posting a 1.85 GAA and .929 SV%. The Oilers enter the action on Thursday as -166 home favorites against a Red Wings team that played last night and has won four of their last five games (4-0-1).

Kierstad has only played two NHL games over the past three seasons, playing almost exclusively at the AHL level. The undrafted 27-year-old defenseman has three assists in 23 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) this season.