Gudas has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury. He was reportedly close to playing on Monday but was held out. He told reporters today that he is good to go, so it sounds like he will be back in the lineup vs. the Panthers.
Gudas has missed the last four games, but was reportedly surprised he did not play on Monday. Skating again this morning is a good sign that the Lightning will get the NHL's fifth leading hitter (209) back on Thursday. Monitor his status following tomorrow's morning skate.
Mrazek will be a late change to the Red Wings lineup in a crucial game vs. the Blue Jackets. He is 1-3-0 with a 1.64 GAA and .924 SV% with Detroit tonight. He has gone 18-5-1 with a 2.01 GAA and .928 SV% with Grand Rapids. Get Howie out of your lineup.
Gudas skated with a regular jersey this morning and is close to returning but is not ready tonight.
Mrazek has been recalled to back-up Jimmy Howard on Sunday because Jonas Gustavsson has a sore groin. Mrazek has gone 1-3-0 with a 1.64 GAA and .924 SV% with the Red Wings this season.
Gudas skated on Friday but took part with a no-contact jersey so he was not expected to play tonight. Monitor Gudas' status prior to Monday's contest vs. the Coyotes.
The 'no contact' jersey suggests that Gudas will not be ready for Saturday's clash with the Bruins, but returning to the ice is a step in the right direction for the physical defenseman.
Gudas is doubtful to play vs. the Sabres tonight which would be the second straight game that he will have missed after suffering a lower-body injury on Sunday vs. the Avalanche.
Gudas was injured on Sunday against Colorado and appears he will not play tonight vs. the Blues. With Gudas out, the Lightning will likely return to six defenseman as Mike Kostka moves onto a regular D-pairing.
Gudas left Sunday's loss to the Avalanche favouring his leg after a second period hit. He is expected to be re-evaluated in the next few days, but will likely miss at least Tuesday's contest.
Mrazek has been good when called upon this season. The 21-year-old is 1-3-0 with a 1.64 GAA and .924 SV% with the Red Wings this season. His demotion tells us that Jimmy Howard is ready to return on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Mrazek stopped all three shots he faced after replacing Jimmy Howard in the third period on Thursday. In his last start he gave up three goals on 19 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Islanders on December 23. Overall he is 1-2-0 with a 1.74 GAA and .914 SV% in three starts and five appearances. He draws a tough assignment tonight against the NHL's best Anaheim Ducks (34-8-5).
Gudas was injured on Thursday, but it appears that he won't miss any time with the injury and will line up next to Matt Carle today vs. the Flyers.
The Red Wings are taking the safe route by keeping Gutavsson out. They can not afford to lose another goalie with Jimmy Howard (knee) already sidelined.
Granlund has missed 11 straight games and 13 of the past 14. In those 14 games, the Wild has scored 22 goals. It is not easy returning immediately from a concussion. "We'll be realistic with our expectations, but I think there's no better way of getting right back in there than to throw him back into the fire," Yeo said.
Granlund, who has been skating on his own, is skating with extra forwards Justin Fontaine and Mike Rupp, which also indicated that Mike Yeo will return with the same lineup as the Colorado win on Tuesday against the red-hot Vancouver Canucks. Including the Phoenix game that Granlund skated 29 seconds in, the Wild is 5-6-1 without Granlund with 18 goals scored (1.5 goals per game). I'd still be surprised if Granlund plays in any of the next few games just because of his history of concussions, but at the very least, maybe he'll now come on the upcoming road trip to practice.
In Mrazek's only NHL start this season, he stopped al 14 shots that he faced in a 5-0 shutout win over the Oilers. He has been stellar in the AHL going 10-2-1 with a 2.09 GAA and .927 SV% in 13 starts. The 21-year-old will face a Lightning team who just beat the Red Wings in a shootout on Thursday, but are coming off of a 3-0 defeat last night.
Mrazek will serve as Jonas Gustavsson's backup tomorrow in Tampa Bay after Jimmy Howard was injured in practice this morning. Mrzaek posted a 14-save shutout in his only NHL start this season. He is 10-2-1 with 2.09 GAA and .927 SV% in the AHL.
Gudas is a rugged defenseman posting 88 hits and 68 PIMs in 23 games. He has added a small amount of offense as well with six points (1G / 5A), but is not a great option in leagues without hits and PIMs.
It sounds like Granlund must have had symptoms working out or after he got on the ice on his own Monday. "We’re going to keep him off right now," coach Mike Yeo said. "He skated the other day and we’re at the point now where lets just take some time off here and make sure we get this right. ... I just know that we’re not making progress, and so what we’re doing right now, we have to take a different approach."
