Drouin was on the ice for the morning skate once again, but did not take part in line rushes, so it does not look like he will be making hi NHL debut tonight. The Lightning play tomorrow as well, so consider him questionable for Tuesday's matchup with the Devils.
Varlamov was yanked after 40 minutes after allowing five goals on 38 shots in Colorado's 5-0 loss to the Wild on Thursday. It was not entirely Varlamov's fault, the Avs simply were not ready for the Wild who came out flying. Minny set a franchise record with 48 shots on the night, don't expect that to happen again, look for Varly to bounce-back on home ice.
Schneider stopped 35 of 39 shots in the Devils 6-4 win over the Flyers on Thursday. Schneider was given a three-goal lead but it slipped away in the final five minutes of the second. Surprisingly, the Devils provided him a ton of goal support, something he didn't get a lot of last season and shouldn't get used to this year. He will face a Florida team who lost their opener to the Lightning in OT.
Panik was claimed off of waivers from the Lightning on Wednesday and it looks like he will play on the Maple Leafs third line with Peter Holland and Daniel Winnik on Saturday. Panik has a lot of offensive skill, but still needs to work on the defensive part of his game.
Varlamov went 1-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .913 SV% in three preseason outings. Despite some legal troubles last season, Varly turned-in a great season in his first under head coach Patrick Roy. He led the NHL in wins (41) and finished with the league's third highest SV% (.927) and 20th GAA (2.41). The Avalanche appear ready to make another playoff push and they will lean heavily on Varlamov to get them there.
Panik, 23, was the Lightning's second round pick (53rd overall) in 2009. He has a lot of skill and upside, but could't find his way in Tampa, posting just eight goals and 14 assists (22 points) in 75 career games. A year ago I don't think the Maple Leafs make this claim, but with a new direction and focus on scoring goals and puck possession, Panik seems to fit their future plans.
Drouin is participating in practice this morning and reportedly taking part in shooting drills, which is a good sign as he works his way back from a fractured thumb. He is not at 100%, but he is getting close.
Martin Brodeur is gone and now it is Schneider's turn to make a mark in Devils history. He had a strong first season and followed it up with a nice preseason, going 2-1 with a 1.62 GAA and .932 SV%. He has one of the NHL's oldest teams playing in front of him and they aren't going to be the highest scoring team, but should be strong defensively which will help Schneider post sod numbers across the board. He is a low-end number-1 due to lack of talent up front.
Varlamov went 1-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .913 SV% in three preseason outings. Despite some legal troubles last season, Varly turned-in a great season in his first under head coach Patrick Roy. He led the NHL in wins (41) and finished with the league's third highest SV% (.927) and 20th GAA (2.41). The Avalanche appear ready to make another playoff push and they will lean heavily on Varlamov to get them there.
Head coach Jon Cooper said that Drouin was all but ruled out for Thursday, but with full participation today we will see if that changes after practice. Regardless, Drouin is on the brink of a return.
Duclair, 19, was the Rangers third round pick (80th overall) in 2013. He had a great training camp after posted 50 goals and 49 assists (99 points) in 59 games with the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL). He will start his NHL career on New York's third line with J.T Miller and Lee Stempniak.
Drouin is at the two-week point in a three-four week timetable. Drouin was expected to miss a handful of games to start the season and that appears to still be the case. Monitor his status as the season approaches, but he will need to shed that no-contact jersey before he gets in the lineup.
Drouin will miss the start of the season, but should only miss a handful of games. This is a disappointing way for the rookie to start his season, but he will still be an electric difference maker for the Lightning this season. Don't let the injury hurt his draft stock .
Palmieri is targeting a return in the Ducks' final preseason game on October 4th, so he should be ready to go to start the season. He is coming off of a 14-goal, 17 assist season in 2013-14.
Cizikas, 23, plays a strong two-way game. He had six goals and 10 assists (16 points) in 80 games with the Isles last season. He averaged 13:22 TOI per game, and 2:25 of that was spent on the penalty kill. That led all Islanders forwards and ranked fourth on the team.
Varlamov surrendered three goals on 21 shots in the 5-2 game 6 loss in Minnesota. The home team has won every game in this series, so the Avalanche have that going for them, but the will need to be much better than they were on Monday. Varly was a bit off in game 6 and has not had all that much success in his first three game 7's--he has gone 1-2 with a 2.99 GAA and .857 SV%.
Varlamov allowed three goals on 32 shots in a 4-3 overtime win in game 5. The Avalanche will look to finish the Wild's season tonight in Minnesota. They get a big boost with Matt Duchene (knee) returning to the lineup. Varly has a 2.33 GAA and .931 SV% in the first five games.
Varlamov did not play particularly well in Game 1 but looks to rebound for Game 2 tonight.
Varlamov was sensational for the Avalanche this season. He led the NHL with 41 wins and posted a strong 2.41 GAA and .927 SV%. He has won seven of his last eight starts and comes into the playoffs as the leagues' hottest netminder. He was 3-0-1 with a 2.16 GAA and .929 SV% vs. the Wild this season.
Varlamov stopped 38 of 40 shots in a win over the Canucks on Thursday. He set the new Avalanche franchise record with 41 regular season wins. Varlamov has been unreal as of late, having won seven of his last eight starts. The Avalanche will give him the nod tonight to try and win the Central Division a season after finishing 29th in the NHL.
