Vaakanainen exited Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils due to an upper-body injury after only playing five shifts in the first period. The 27-year-old Finnish defenseman is averaging 13:48 time-on-ice and has six assists in 33 games this season. New York recalled Connor Mackey from Hartford (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Already without Dylan Larkin (lower body), the Red Wings' depth at center has struggled even more with Copp sidelined for the last week. That said, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan had reassuring news on Wednesday, indicating that Copp is ahead of his original recovery schedule and could possibly play on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Laba was limited to only 8:40 time-on-ice in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils before exiting the game with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old first-year forward is averaging 13:29 time-on-ice, recording 21 points (9G / 12A) and 98 hits in 65 games this season.
Shesterkin did not play in last night's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils and will hope to solidify their crease on Thursday when he tends the twine against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 30-year-old Sehsterkin allowed three goals on 25 shots (.880 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. That said, Shesterkin has been solid since returning from the Olympic break, posting a 2.72 GAA and .913 SV% in eight games (5-1-2). The Rangers enter Thursday's contest as +185 road underdogs against a red-hot Blue Jackets team that has points in 10 straight games (6-0-4) as they desperately continue their battle to return to the postseason.
Anderson scored a goal in his previous outing, ending a nine-game goalless drought, but seemingly suffering an upper-body injury and will be sidelined day-to-day. The 31-year-old Anderson is averaging 14:11 time-on-ice, recording 22 points (13G / 9A), 78 shots, and 112 hits in 61 games this season.
With Sidney Crosby (lower body) returning to Pittsburgh's lineup on Wednesday, Hayes' stint in the NHL seems to have concluded for the time being. The 23-year-old Hayes averaged 10:37 time-on-ice and scored two goals in 11 games with Pittsburgh.
Reichel has had trouble making an impact at the NHL level and has exclusively played in the AHL since being acquired in a trade in early March by Boston, his third team this season. The 23-year-old German forward scored five points (2G / 3A) in 19 NHL games this season split between Chicago and Vancouver.
Swayman was serviceable in his most recent outing, saving 28 of 31 shots (.903 SV%), but came up short in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The 27-year-old American goalie has a solid 1.97 GAA and .920 SV% in seven games (4-2-1) since returning from the Olympic break. The Bruins enter Thursday's contest as -124 home favourites against a Winnipeg Jets team that has failed to score more than three goals in six consecutive games (3-2-1).
Urho Vaakanaien (upper body) suffered an injury last night, resulting in New York recalling Mackey from Hartford (AHL). The 29-year-old Mackey has yet to play an NHL game this season and has 15 points (5G / 10A) in 52 games with Hartford this season.
On March 12th, Red Wings' Head Coach Todd McLellan indicated that Larkin will be out for two weeks, but after returning to practice on Thursday, he could be trending towards an earlier return. The Red Wings, also without Andrew Copp (lower body), are hurting at the center position and will be eager to get Larkin back into the lineup as they continue their late-season push to return to the playoffs.
Gibson has not been able to maintain his otherworldly pre-Olympic pace, partly due to team injuries, going 10-4-1 and posting a stellar 1.97 GAA and .924 SV% from late December to early February, but he has continued to give his team a chance. The 32-year-old Gibson has 2.28 GAA and .915 SV% in eight games since returning from the Olympic break (4-3-1), and the Red Wings will need him to continue being a stalwart if they have any intentions of returning to the playoffs. The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as slight -100 home underdogs against a Montreal Canadiens team that is coming off a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins to snap a two-game losing streak.
Greaves was tremendous in his previous outing, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) in a commanding 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The 24-year-old Greaves has been a key contributor in helping Columbus get within reach of a Wild Card spot, posting an impressive 2.29 GAA and .914 SV% in his last 13 appearances (10-0-2). The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as sizeable -216 home favourites against a New York Rangers team that has been outscored 10-4 in their last two games (0-2-0).
Grundstrom will take a seat on Tuesday in favour of Garnet Hathaway. Grundstrom has appeared in 37 games for the Flyers this season, logging eight goals and four assists.
Hathaway will slot in for Tuesday's game in Anaheim, as Carl Grundstrom will draw out of the Flyers lineup. Hathaway has one goal and one assist in 54 games this season.
The Flyers will turn to Vladar between the pipes for the 41st time this season when they travel to Anaheim on Wednesday. Vladar was unfortunate not to come away with a victory in his last start, allowing just a single goal on 28 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The 28-year-old netminder is enjoying a career year in his first season with the Flyers, posting a 21-11-7 record and a .905 SV%. Vladar and the Flyers enter action on Wednesday at +125 on the money line.
The 20th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Eiserman will turn pro at the start of next season after spending the last two seasons at Boston University. The 19-year-old winger tallied 43 goals and 21 assists in 71 career NCAA games. Eiserman will reportedly sign an amateur tryout with Bridgeport, the Islanders AHL affiliate, and spend the remainder of the season there before his pro contract officially begins next season.
The Rangers are well above .500 when Igor Shesterkin starts (22-13-6) and would likely be in playoff contention if not for a prolonged injury, but they will turn to Quick on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. Despite Quick's struggles, he was excellent in his most recent outing, saving all 21 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Calgary Flames last week, only his second win in his last 18 games (2-14-2). The Rangers enter Wednesday's contest as +104 home underdogs against a Devils team that is 6-2-0 in their last eight games.
Markstrom has been relied upon heavily since returning from the Olympic break, and will return to the crease for the ninth time in New Jersey's last 10 games. The Devils are well outside of a Wild Card spot, but can largely credit Markstrom's improved play for at least staying within reach. The 36-year-old goalie has a 2.59 GAA and .902 SV% in his last 10 games (6-4-0). The Devils enter Wednesday's contest as -115 road favourites against the New York Rangers, a team they defeated 6-3 less than two weeks ago.
