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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Philipp Grubauer will guard the home net for the Seattle Kraken versus Minnesota on Thursday. The Kraken have been alternating Grubauer and Joey Daccord, with this being Grubauer's start. He holds an 8-3-1 record this season with a 2.21 GAA and .926 save percentage, a significant improvement from last year. The Wild average 3.11 goals per game.
David Rittich is scheduled to patrol the visiting crease for the New York Islanders in Nashville on Thursday. Rittich has had an outstanding season thus far, with an 11-5-2 record, two shutouts, a 2.48 GAA, and a .907 save percentage across 18 appearances. The Predators rank 25th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.81 goals per game.
Calvin Pickard will start in goal for the Edmonton Oilers against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Pickard has had a mediocre season with a 4-6-2 record, 3.73 GAA, and .873 save percentage over 15 games. Notably, he had an outstanding performance against the Jets 10 days prior, making 41 saves in a 3-1 victory. The Jets are currently struggling, with a 0-6-4 record in their last 10 games and sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings.
Bo Horvat (lower body) will not play in Thursday's game against Nashville and is not with the New York Islanders for the start of their seven-game road trip. General Manager Mathieu Darche stated the team decided to give the 30-year-old more rest, with hopes of his return before the Olympic break. He might join the team later in the road trip.
Scott Wedgewood will start in net for the Colorado Avalanche against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Wedgewood is having a strong season with an 18-3-4 record, two shutouts, a 2.20 GAA, and a .917 save percentage, setting a new career high in victories. He aims to snap the Avalanche's current two-game losing streak. The Senators are 11th in NHL scoring, averaging 3.19 goals per game.
Simon Nemec is set to return to the New Jersey Devils' lineup Thursday in Pittsburgh after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. Before his injury, the 2022 second-overall pick had a strong season with seven goals and 11 assists in 31 games. He is expected to be eased back into play.
William Nylander (lower body) is progressing in his recovery and could return to action for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. He will miss Thursday's game against the Flyers, his sixth consecutive absence. Prior to his injury, the 29-year-old had three multi-point games in his last eight appearances, recording three goals and six assists.
Brad Marchand (undisclosed) has been ruled out of Thursday's game against Montreal. The 37-year-old forward, who left Tuesday's game against Toronto, is having a strong season with 23 goals and 23 assists in 41 games, including 16 points on the power play. He could potentially return as early as Saturday in Ottawa.
Jake Allen will start in goal for the New Jersey Devils on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Allen has been alternating starts with Jacob Markstrom and has posted a 2-2-1 record with a 2.40 GAA and .924 save percentage in his last five starts. He previously made 33 saves on 34 shots in a 2-1 win against Pittsburgh on November 8.
Tom Wilson (lower body) is unlikely to play Friday in Chicago, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. He has not yet been cleared for contact, though head coach Spencer Carbery has not ruled him out for Sunday's game in Nashville. The 31-year-old power forward has missed the last two games and has recorded 22 goals and 20 assists with 110 hits in 41 games this season.
Sergei Bobrovsky will start in goal for the Florida Panthers on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. Bobrovsky has lost his last two starts and three of his last four appearances. The veteran goaltender holds a 17-11-1 record with three shutouts, a 2.85 GAA, and an .885 save percentage. The Canadiens are strong offensively, tied for sixth in NHL scoring.
Connor Hellebuyck is slated to start for the Winnipeg Jets against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Hellebuyck has struggled recently, with his last win on Dec. 13, posting a 0-5-4 record with a 3.00 GAA and .878 save percentage in his last nine starts. His season record is 9-11-4 with a 2.63 GAA and .903 save percentage. The Oilers are a high-scoring team, averaging 3.37 goals per game.
Joonas Korpisalo will start in goal for the Boston Bruins against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Korpisalo has had a difficult season, with a 6-8-0 record, 3.59 GAA, and .882 save percentage in 15 appearances. He has allowed eight goals on 50 shots in his last two starts, both losses. The Flames are one of the league's lowest-scoring teams, averaging 2.58 goals per game.
John Gibson is set to start in goal for the Detroit Red Wings against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Gibson has alternated wins and losses in his last five starts, going 3-2-0 with a 2.63 GAA and .913 save percentage. He previously shut out the Canucks on Dec. 8, making 39 saves in a 4-0 victory.
Dan Vladar is expected to start in goal for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Vladar is on a three-game winning streak, improving his season record to 16-6-3 with a 2.37 GAA and .910 save percentage over 25 games. He has established himself as the team's No. 1 goalie. The Maple Leafs are eighth in NHL scoring.
Alexandre Texier recorded a season-high three points, scoring a goal and adding two assists in Wednesday's 4-1 victory against the Flames. Texier opened the scoring by skillfully out-waiting Dustin Wolf. He is currently making a significant impact while skating on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, accumulating a goal and five points in his last four games.
San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini delivered a heroic performance in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win against the Kings, scoring a goal on seven shots and adding two assists. He netted the tying goal with 1:07 left in regulation and then set up the overtime winner. This extends his impressive point streak to 12 games (9 goals, 15 assists). Earlier, in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets, Celebrini scored an empty-net goal, though he was held to zero shots and won only 2 of 6 faceoffs, also being high-sticked by Boone Jenner. Celebrini now boasts 24 goals, 43 assists, 143 shots, and a plus-17 rating this season.
Ottawa Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen is slated to start Wednesday's road game against the Mammoth. This comes after he was pulled from his last outing Monday versus the Red Wings, having allowed three goals on just nine shots. Merilainen's recent form includes a 2-2-0 record with 14 goals allowed on 101 shots over his last five starts. Wednesday's game is the first of a back-to-back, with his status for Thursday's game in Colorado currently uncertain.
Haydn Fleury rejoined the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday after being taken off the ice on a stretcher following a crash into the boards. Coach Scott Arniel confirmed the 29-year-old defenseman suffered a broken nose and a bruised back. His return to the team indicates a positive step in his recovery, despite the severity of the injuries sustained. Fleury's status for upcoming games will likely be monitored closely as he recovers from these significant injuries.
Yaroslav Askarov is slated to start in goal for the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday against the Kings, as reported by Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. This will be the second half of a back-to-back for the Sharks, following Alex Nedeljkovic's win Tuesday. Askarov's last outing saw him pulled after allowing three goals on just 10 shots against the Lightning on Saturday. He aims to rebound against a Kings team that has scored 21 goals in their last six games.
