Leevi served as the backup to Anton Forsberg over the weekend as Joonas Korpisalo was out of the lineup with an illness. Merilainen has a 3.02 GAA and .904 SV% in 16 games (7-6-1) with Belleville (AHL) this season.
Ersson had the night off in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators but will return to the crease on Monday night. In his last outing, Ersson allowed five goals on 21 shots (.762 SV%) in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and has allowed four or more goals in three of his last six games (2-3-1). The Flyers enter action as -137 home favourites against against a St. Louis Blues club that has scored three or fewer goals in four straight (1-2-1).
Ersson will get a second consecutive start for the Flyers after grabbing a win over the Lightning on Tuesday. Ersson stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced enroute to the 6-2 victory. The 24-year-old netminder now owns a 17-11-4 record on the season to go along with a .901 SV% and a 2.55 GAA. He is in a good spot to stay in the win column on Friday with the Flyers being -150 road favourites over the Capitals.
MacDermid's three-year tenure in Colorado is up after he was traded a week before the Trade Deadline to New Jersey for a 2024 seventh-round pick and Zakhar Bardakov on Friday. The 29-year-old hybrid bruiser has found himself the odd man out of Colorado's lineup more often than not this season but still has managed two goals, 12 SOG, 23 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus while averaging only 5:05 TOI per game.
Burakovsky did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to an undisclosed injury and is questionable for Saturday. He played 18:15 time-on-ice in Seattle's Tuesday-night outing, a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins, recording one assist and two shots on goal. He has three points (0G / 3A) in his last four games after being held without a point in seven games straight.
Zub's return to the Senators lines up with the news that Travis Hamonic will be out for several weeks with an injury. The hard-hitting Zub had two points (0G / 2A), four shots, and 10 hits in his last four games before his injury.
Burakovsky did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to an undisclosed injury. He played 18:15 time-on-ice in Seattle's last outing, a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins, recording one assist and two shots on goal. He has three points (0G / 3A) in his last four games after being held without a point in seven games straight.
Zub's return to the Senators lines up with the news that Travis Hamonic will be out for several weeks with an injury. The hard-hitting Zub had two points (0G / 2A), four shots, and 10 hits in his last four games before his injury.
Burakovsky did not practice on Wednesday due to an undisclosed injury. He played 18:15 time-on-ice in Seattle's last outing, a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins, recording one assist and two shots on goal. He has three points (0G / 3A) in his last four games after being held without a point in seven games straight.
Ersson will return to the Flyers' crease on Thursday vs. Tampa Bay after giving Cal Petersen the start in an ugly 7-6 loss over the weekend. The 24-year-old 2nd-year netminder has done an admirable job holding down the Flyers' starting job after getting the role of starter unexpectedly and has a 16-11-4 record to show for it with a 2.56 GAA and .900 SV%. He will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, who have won their last two games and are seventh in the NHL in goals per game (3.40).
Ullmark will tend the twine on Monday for a Bruins club that has uncharacteristically lost six of their last eight (2-2-4). Ullmark allowed three goals on 30 shots (.900 SV%) in his last outing, a 3-2 extra-time loss to the Calgary Flames. The Bruins are -141 road favourites against the Seattle Kraken on Monday despite being defeated by them 4-1 less than two weeks ago.
Zub did not play on Saturday and will miss a second straight game on Monday due to a lower-body injury. The hard-hitting defenseman had two points (0G / 2A), four shots, and 10 hits in his last four games before his injury.
