Smith stopped 22 of 23 shots in the Flames win over the Flames last Sunday. It was a strong outing vs. a weak opponent but Smith has mostly struggled as of late, going 2-2-0 with a 3.45 GAA and .869 SV% in his last five starts. However, he draws another nice matchup tonight against a Red Wings team that is 8-11-3 on the road.
Smith stopped 22 of 23 shots in the Flames win over the Flames last Sunday. It was a strong outing vs. a weak opponent but Smith has mostly struggled as of late, going 2-2-0 with a 3.45 GAA and .869 SV% in his last five starts. However, he draws another nice matchup tonight against a Red Wings team that is 8-11-3 on the road.
Brown, 24, was a sixth-round pick in 2013 and is set to make his debut after playing 167 games in the AHL and 54 games in the ECHL. Brown has just three games in 19 games with the Thunderbirds this season.
Jones could make his NHL debut on Thursday after recording 12 goals and 12 assists (24 points) in 32 games with San Diego. Jones is a former first-round pick (No.24 in 2016) who is part of the struggling Ducks’ roster re-tool.
Murray was scratched in Washington on Saturday because of an illness but will replace Dean Kukan on Sunday. Murray has 20 points (1G / 19A) in 43 games this season.
Smith surrendered five goals on 26 shots in the Flames loss in Boston on January 3rd. Smith has been relegated to the back-up role due to his poor play and David Rittich’s breakout season. The long-time Coyotes netminder stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 6-1 win against his former team back in November.
Hyman has missed the past eight games with a sprained left ankle but will return to the lineup on Thursday. Hyman, who has seven goals and eight assists (15 points) in 32 games this season, will skate on a line with John Tavares and Mitch Marner in his return to the lineup.
Smith allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Flames win in Detroit last night. With David Rittich still out, Smith will start again tonight in Boston. Last night’s win moved him to 6-4-0 with a 2.60 GAA, .910 SV% and one shutout on the road this season. Tonight he will face a Bruins team that has won eight of their last 12 games while averaging 3.42 goals for per game.
Smith allowed three goals on 27 shots in the Flames loss to the Blues on December 22nd. With David Rittich out with a lower-body injury, Smith will start Wednesday’s game in Detroit. The 32-year-old only started five games in December, going 4-1-0 with a 2.64 GAA, .899 SV% and one shutout. Smith is 5-4-0 with a 2.55 GAA and .911 SV% and one shutout on the road.
Pickard has not made an appearance with Arizona since being acquired via waivers on November 29th. Pickard has gone 4-2-2 with a 4.01 GAA and .863 SV% in 11 games this season.
Koekkoek has been a healthy scratch for the last 18 games so the Lightning have sent him down to get some playing time. The 24-year-old, who has just one goal in nine games with Tampa Bay this season, had 13 points (2G / 11A) in 48 games the last time he was in the AHL (2016-17).
Arvidsson is expected to play Thursday after missing 22 games with a broken thumb he suffered on November 10th. Arvidsson has 13 points (8G / 5A) in 13 games this season.
Arvidsson has been out since November 10th with a broken thumb but is expected to play vs. the Stars. Arvidsson was playing very well before getting hurt, registering eight goals on 34 shots (23.5 SH%) with five assists (13 points) in 13 games. He will skate with Ryan Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok on the top line.
Kulak has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace David Schlemko on Saturday. Kulak has just one assist in 12 games this season but is a solid daily fantasy punt—he averaging 2.1 shots per game and 0.8 blocked shots.
Ekholm was a late scratch from Thursday’s lineup in Philadelphia but will play today in Boston. Ekholm has three goals and 19 assists (22 points) in 35 games this season.
Hyman suffered an ankle injury in New Jersey and missed Thursday’s game. Head coach Mike Babcock told reporters post-game that Hyman tried to play through it but it is serious enough to keep him sidelined until at least early-January.
Smith was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots in the Flames loss to the Flyers on December 12th. It was an ugly end to a six-game winning streak for Smith, who will face the Blues for the second time this afternoon. Smith was yanked in the first meeting after he allowed five goals on 24 shots in a 5-3 loss in St. Louis (Oct.11).
