Bear, 20, was a fifth round pick of the Oilers in 2015 and will play his first NHL game tonight. Bear will replace Adam Larsson in the lineup and comes to the Oilers with 16 points (6G / 10A) in 34 games with Bakersfield (AHL) this season.
Schneider has been sidelined by a groin injury since January 23rd but will return to the crease tonight in Florida. The 31-year-old stopped 18 of 19 shots in a win with Binghamton (AHL) during his brief conditioning stint. Schneider has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .944 SV% vs. the Panthers this season.
Schneider has been sidelined by a groin injury since January 23rd but will return to the crease tonight in Florida. The 31-year-old stopped 18 of 19 shots in a win with Binghamton (AHL) during his brief conditioning stint. Schneider has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .944 SV% vs. the Panthers this season.
Rittich allowed seven goals on 26 shots in the Flames loss in Vegas last Wednesday. Jon Gillies started the last three games, but Rittich will start on the tail-end of the back-to-back tonight in Colorado. The 25-year-old comes in at 6-2-2 with a 2.76 GAA and .913 SV% on the road this season.
Highmore, 22, was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Blackhawks after five seasons with the Sant John Sea Dogs (QMJHL). In his first AHL season, Highmore has scored 21 goals with 14 assists (35 points) in 56 games. He’ll get a look down the stretch.
Varlamov allowed a single goal on 32 shots in Colorado’s win over the Canucks on Monday. Varlamov has three wins his last seven appearances with a 2.81 GAA, .920 SV% and one shutout. With Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond both hurt, Varlamov will continue to carry the torch for the Avalanche. He allowed five goals on 29 shots in a 5-1 loss to the Flames over the weekend.
Schneider has been sidelined by a groin injury since January 23rd but is nearing a return to the Devils’ crease. The Devils’ No.1 will start tonight for Binghamton and should be back to start either Thursday in Florida or Friday in Carolina.
Varlamov allowed five goals on 29 shots in Colorado’s loss in Calgary on Saturday. Varlamov has two wins in his last six appearances, while posting a 3.15 GAA and .912 SV%. Varlamov is 9-4-1 with a 2.40 GAA and .931 SV% in 16 games at the Pepsi Center this season.
Panik missed Saturday’s game against the Ducks and is questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Canucks. If Panik can’t play, look for Freddie Hamilton to remain in the lineup.
Soshnikov joined the Blues prior to Friday’s game after getting his visa worked out following his trade from Toronto to St. Louis on February 15th. The 24-year-old had no points in three games with the Maple Leafs but was close to a point per game with the Marlies, collecting 17 points (7G / 10A) in 19 contests. Soshnikov is expected to make his debut on a line with Alex Steen and Patrik Berglund.
Varlamov turned in an admirable performance on Thursday, stopping 43 of the 46 shots he faced in a losing effort against the Oilers. With Jonathan Bernier (concussion) sidelined without a timetable for his return, Varlamov should get nearly all of the starts for the Avalanche in the foreseeable future. He has a tough matchup this afternoon in Calgary.
Varlamov allowed four goals on just 28 shots in the Avs’ 5-4 victory over the Canucks on Tuesday. Despite the shaky start, Varlamov should continue to see a full workload in the absence of Jonathan Bernier. He draws a good matchup tonight on the road in Edmonton.
Schneider remains without a timetable for a return, though it would appear to be sooner than later. He called himself a "soft no" to play on Thursday, adding to speculation that he might be good to go for the weekend. Monitor his status accordingly.
Rittich stopped 30 of 32 shots in the Flames’ 2-1 loss to the Bruins on Monday. Despite the loss, it was arguably the strongest start Rittich has had since taking over for the injured Mike Smith. Smith did travel with the team for their two-game road swing in Vegas and Arizona, though he remains without a timetable for his return. In the meantime, Rittich draws a very rough matchup tonight on the road against Vegas.
Varlamov turned in a solid performance in a losing effort against the Oilers on Sunday, stopping 36 of the 39 shots he faced. The strong start was encouraging for Varlamov, who should see plenty of action so long as Jonathan Bernier (concussion) remains sidelined. He draws a good matchup tonight in Vancouver.
Rittich allowed four goals on just 15 shots before being relieved by Jon Gillies in the Flames’ 6-3 loss to the Panthers on Saturday. Rittich has struggled in the absence of Mike Smith, allowing 11 goals on 86 shots (.872 SV%) in three games since assuming the starting job. He draws a challenging matchup tonight against the Bruins, who just beat Rittich and the Flames last week by a score of 5-2.
Rittich turned away 29 of 32 shots in the Flames’ 4-3 win over the Predators on Thursday. Despite his strong play this season, Rittich hasn’t been great in the absence of Mike Smith, allowing seven goals on just 71 shots over the last two games. He draws an okay matchup tonight at home against the Panthers.
The Leafs were forced into making a decision on Soshnikov; they had a full roster and, upon activating Soshnikov from injured reserve, would have had to place one of Soshnikov, Josh Leivo, or Matt Martin on waivers. Soshnikov has 0 points in 3 games with the Maple Leafs this year, but has 17 in 19 games with the Marlies (AHL).
Rittich failed to impress in his first start in the absence of Mike Smith, allowing four goals on 39 shots (.897) in a losing effort to the Bruins. Despite his disappointing night on Tuesday, Rittich has been a formidable backup this season (2.23 GAA/.926 SV%), and should continue to see a starter’s workload so long as Smith is out. He’ll be in tough to turn it around tonight in Nashville.
