Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Goaltender Garret Sparks will make his fourth straight start on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild as starter Frederik Andersen remains unavailable. Head coach Mike Babcock did not say who would backup Sparks in the contest.

Andersen and forward Zach Hyman were both on the ice ahead of practice on Wednesday, working with their respective trainers and coach. However, neither came back on the ice for the team skate later in the morning.

Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday he expected Andersen to practice Wednesday as he works toward potentially starting Thursday's game. Instead, York University goaltender Alex Fotino took the opposite net of Garret Sparks. 

Andersen is day-to-day with a groin injury and last played on Dec. 22.

Hyman returned to the ice earlier this week for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on Dec. 18.

Forward Trevor Moore was recalled once again from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis. Moore has two assists in three games with the Maple Leafs this season.

Practice lines:

Brown-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Lindholm-Gauthier-Moore

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganov
Marincin-Holl

Sparks

Montreal Canadiens

Goaltender Carey Price joined the team for practice on Wednesday, along with Antti Niemi and Michael McNiven. Price took his usual net in practice, while McNiven was relegated to the extra role.

Price has been out since Dec. 22 with a lower-body injury, which head coach Claude Julien called "more of an irritation than anything else." The goaltender revealed Wednesday he had been dealing with the injury for seven weeks before being placed on injured reserve last week.

Price, who was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 22, has played in 30 games this season, posting a 15-10-4 record with a 2.84 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

Joel Armia skated with Artturi Lehkonen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and appears to be closing on playing in his first game since Nov. 6.

 

Buffalo Sabres

Forward Jack Eichel was not at practice Monday. He left Monday's loss to the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury. Head coach Phil Housley said the team would provide an update on Eichel on Thursday.

The team used the following lines at practice, per WGR 550 Radio:

Skinner-Rodrigues-Reinhart
Sheary-Sobotka-Thompson
Elie-Mittelstadt-Pominville
Smith-Larsson-Okposo

McCabe-Ristolainen
Scandella-Dahlin
Pilut-Bogosian
Beaulieu-Hunwick

Ottawa Senators

Marcus Hogberg was in the starter's net for Wednesday's gameday skate. Hogberg is 0-2 with an .883 save percentage and a 3.56 goals-against average this season.

The team used the following lines Wednesday morning:

Tkachuk Tierney Stone
Dzingel Duchene White
Paajarvi Paul Rodewald
Boedker Smith Ryan

Harpur Ceci
Lajoie Elliott
Borowiecki DeMelo
Wolanin

Hogberg
McKenna 

 

Washington Capitals

Defenceman Matt Niskanen was on the ice for practice Wednesday after missing the previous two games due to an upper-body injury. 

Niskanen has not played since being hit awkardly into the boards against the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 27.

Practice lines, per NHL.com:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Elller-Connolly
Stephenson-Boyd-Smith-Pelly

TSN Game Notes

Active Longest Losing Streaks

EDM   0-6-0

ANA   0-4-2

OTT     0-5-0

COL    0-3-2

DET    0-3-2

 

Oilers Goalies Dec 16 to Present

Talbot              Koskinen

0-2-0    Rec      0-4-0

3.82     GAA   4.90

.880     SV%    .861

 

Longest Active Win Streaks

GM      TEAM                 

6          TAMPA BAY            

6          PITTSBURGH           

4          NY ISLANDERS         

4          VEGAS                

3          NEW JERSEY           

 

Longest 18-19 Point Streaks

GM   PLAYER                       TEAM                         FROM     TO       

17   MIKE HOFFMAN       FLORIDA                     Oct  13  Nov  21 

14   MIKKO RANTANEN  COLORADO               Nov  18  Dec  15  

14   ALEX OVECHKIN     WASHINGTON           Nov  16  Dec  15 

14   DYLAN LARKIN       DETROIT                      Dec  04  Active

12   CAM ATKINSON       COLUMBUS                Nov  10  Dec  06 

12   SEBASTIAN AHO      CAROLINA                 Oct  04  Oct  30 

 

Canucks (42P) at Senators (34P) - 7PM (Jan 2)

VAN 1-0-1 vs OTT in 17-18, shutout win in OTT. Teams did not meet in calendar year 2018

OTT: (15-21-4)

Lost 5 straight, outscored 24-10, PP 2/13

Stone (3G, 5A) last 8GP

VAN: (19-19-4)

2-1-0 on road trip, 8GA, PK 7/11 (shutout last game)

Pettersson (2G, 1A) on road trip

Flames (52P) at Wings (37P) - 7PM (Jan 2)

Teams split 2GP in 17-18, DET winning at home. DET has won 2 of their past 3 at home vs CGY

DET: (15-19-7)

0-3-2 last 5GP, 20GA, PK 8/12

Larkin (7G, 10A) 14 game PT streak

CGY: (24-12-4)

2-0-1 last 3GP, 14GF, PP 1/13

Gaudreau (6G, 4A) last 5GP

Penguins (48P) at Rangers (41P) - 7PM (Jan 2)

Both teams 2-1-1 in season series last year. Both 1-0-1 in NY. NYR 2-0-2 last 4GP at home vs PIT

NYR: (17-14-7)

Won 2 straight, both on road, 4GA, PK 7/9

Hayes (5G, 11A) has a PT in 9 of past 10GP

PIT: (21-12-6)

Won 6 straight, 7GA, PK 14/15

Crosby (2G, 8A) 4 game PT streak

Devils (37P) at Stars (44P) - 830PM (Jan 2)

NJ 1-0-0 vs DAL in 18-19, shutout win at home. DAL 4-0-2 last 6GP at home vs NJ

DAL: (20-16-4)

2-0-1 last 3GP, 4GA, PK 8/9

Seguin (2A) last 2GP, 1A shy of 300 career

NJ: (15-16-7)

Won 3 straight, 2GA, PK 11/11

Blackwood back2back shutouts, 62 saves

Sharks (49P) at Avalanche (46P) - 930PM (Jan 2)

COL 2-1-0 vs SJ in 17-18, 2-0-0 at home.

COL: (19-13-8)

0-3-2 last 5GP, 10GF, PP 3/20

Rantanen (1G, 3A) last 4GP

SJ: (21-13-7)

2-2-2 last 6GP, 25GA, PK 13/17

Burns (2G, 3A) last 3GP

Oilers (39P) at Coyotes (36P) - 930PM (Jan 2)

EDM 3-1-0 vs ARZ in 17-18, 1-1-0 in ARZ. EDM has won 2 of their past 3GP in ARZ (lost last)

ARZ: (17-20-2)

3-2-0 last 5GP, 16GF, PP 4/18

Keller (6A) last 5GP

EDM: (18-18-3)

lost 6 straight, 29GA, PK 11/16

McDavid (2G, 7A) 4 game PT streak