Josi missed Monday’s practice for “maintenance” but was also not on the ice for today’s morning skate which puts his status for tonight’s game in question. Samuel Girard is expected to make his NHL debut tonight regardless of Josi’s status. Monitor Josi’s status during pre-game warmups.
Saros will start in Pittsburgh because Pekka Rinne has never won a game (regular season or playoffs) in Pittsburgh, so they will roll the dice with the 22-year-old. Saros had a really good season as Rinne’s backup last year, going 10-8-3 with a 2.35 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout. The Penguins haven’t had a good start to the season, but that might be a reason to stay away from Saros—they will be a motivated team after getting embarrassed on Thursday.
Stamkos continues to practice with the Lightning and took part in line rushes for the second straight game, but will not face the Red Wings tonight. Monitor his status leading up to the Lightning’s back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.
Saros allowed four goals on 32 shots in the Predators’ loss to the Blackhawks last Saturday. Pekka Rinne starts the last two games, but Saros will start this afternoon in San Jose—he is 4-3-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .934 SV% on the road.
Saros allowed two goals on 26 shots in the Predators’ win over the Capitals on February 25th. Saros has played very well in his first NHL season, but hasn’t been given a tonne of playing time. He enters Saturday with a 7-5-3 record despite posting a strong 2.21 GAA, .929 SV% and one shutout. However, he’ll be in tough against good Blackhawks team.
