Carrier left the Predators' previous game vs. Ottawa after only 7:20 TOI and is now week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 26-year-old has one goal, 26 SOG and eight PIMs through 23 games prior to the injury.
Kahkonen allowed five goals on 39 shots (.872 SV%) as he picked up his third loss in four starts in a loss to Ottawa. The Sharks' backup has struggled mightily this season, with a 3-6-2 record, 3.57 GAA and .882 SV%. He draws the Vancouver Canucks who are coming off the most exciting game yet with a 7-6 comeback victory over Montreal in their previous contest.
Gallagher will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury on Monday and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Juraj Slafkovsky will continue to play a larger role while Gallagher is out.
Laine missed the last seven games with an ankle injury but will play Friday against the Jets. Laine has been in and out of the lineup this season, scoring just two goals and two assists (four points) in eight games.
Gallagher will need to be reevaluated after it was announced he would miss Thursday's game due to a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old has three goals, five assists and 51 SOG through his first 22 games prior to the injury.
Xhekaj missed Montreal's last game as a healthy scratch but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Calgary. The rookie has had a strong start to his career, with three goals, three assists, 36 SOG and a league-leading 47 PIMs through 20 games prior to his scratching.
Laine has missed the Blue Jackets' previous seven games due to an ankle injury but is expected to return to the lineup Friday after he was activated from the injured reserve. The 24-year-old has two goals, two assists, 29 SOG and a -4 plus/minus through eight injury-riddled games so far this season.
Kahkonen allowed four goals on only 20 shots (.800 SV%) as he picked up his fourth loss in five starts vs. Vancouver his last time out. Kahkonen has been terrible as the Sharks' backup this season as shown by his .871 SV%, 3.81 GAA and 2-5-1 record. He will take on the Montreal Canadiens, who are on a two-game winning streak but rank 21st in the NHL in goals per game (2.95).
Xhekaj will head to the press box for the second time this season Tuesday as Montreal takes on San Jose. The rookie has had a strong start to his career, with three goals, three assists, 36 SOG and a league-leading 47 PIMs through 20 games prior to his scratching.
Montembeault was excellent in his previous start, stopping 30 of 31 shots (.968 SV%) as he helped Montreal top Columbus. The Canadiens' backup has been strong all season, posting a 4-2-1 record with a .922 SV% and 2.57 GAA. He will take on the struggling Chicago Blackhawks who have lost five straight games.
Xhakaj was a healthy scratch Tuesday but will be back in Montreal's lineup Wednesday vs. Columbus. Through 18 games he has made a strong impact with two goals and three assists along with a league-leading 45 PIMs while averaging only 15:53 TOI
Montembeault allowed five goals on 28 shots (.821 SV%) losing his previous start vs. Columbus. The Canadiens' backup netminder has been solid with a 3-2-1 record, 2.83 GAA and .915 SV%. He takes on the Blue Jackets who beat Florida their last time out and have the 31st-best powerplay with their 14.0% conversion rate.
Kahkonen was incredible in his previous start stopping 37 of 38 shots (.974 SV%) in a win over Ottawa. He is filling in for an injured James Reimer but has struggled this season with his 2-4-1 record, 3.31 GAA and .894 SV%. He takes on the Seattle Kraken who have won their last two contests 3-2 in overtime after beating the Kings their last time out.
Xhekaj will head to the press box as a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Tuesday. Through 18 games he has made a strong impact with two goals and three assists along with a league-leading 45 PIMs while averaging only 15:53 TOI.
Kahkonen's last start was November 10th when he stopped 28 of 32 shots (.875 SV%) in a loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Sharks' backup has battled the puck all season, as shown by his 1-4-1 record, .878 SV% and 3.70 GAA. He takes on the Ottawa Senators who have only won two of their last 11 games played.
