Lindgren is battling an upper-body injury and will not play on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 27-year-old Lindgren has been solid on Colorado's blue line, recording 26 blocks, 21 hits, and three points (2G / 1A) in 18 games.
Colorado's head coach Jared Bednar stated that MacKinnon would likely play if they were fighting for a playoff spot, indicating that he should be ready to play in the postseason. The 29-year-old MacKinnon has a league-leading 116 points (32G / 84A) in 79 games this season.
Girard has not played since March 31st but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old Girard is averaging 20:49 time-on-ice and has 23 points (3G / 20A) in 70 games this season.
Necas has not played since April 2nd but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Colorado will rely heavily upon Necas on Thursday as they will be without Nathan MacKinnon (undisclosed). The 26-year-old Necas has 26 points (11G / 15A) in 27 games with Colorado this season.
Utah has given Vejmelka the heaviest workload of any netminder over the previous two months, and he will return to the crease for his 22nd consecutive start on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Vejmelka was solid in his most recent outing, saving 18 of 19 shots (.947 SV%) in a 7-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The 28-year-old Czech goalie has a 2.51 GAA and .907 SV% in 55 games this season (25-21-7). Utah enters Thursday's contest as sizeable -201 home favorites against a Nashville team coming off a back-and-forth 7-6 overtime win over the New York Islanders.
A six-game winning streak has positioned the Canadiens into the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and they will turn to Montembeault between the pipes on Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Montembeault was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 35 of 36 shots (.972 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The 28-year-old goalie has a 2.81 GAA and .901 SV% in 59 games this season (30-23-6).
Nieto recently returned from a six-week NHL absence, playing one game, but will return to the sidelines and miss the remainder of the season. The 32-year-old Nieto is averaging 12:15 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 32 games this season.
Novak has not played since March 9th and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Novak is averaging 13:14 time-on-ice and has 22 points (13G / 9A) in 54 games this season.
Lizotte did not play in Pittsburgh's previous game and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Lizotte is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has 20 points (11G / 9A) in 59 games this season. Matthew Nieto will draw into the lineup as Lizotte's replacement.
McGroarty recently made his NHL debut, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in eight games, but will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old McGroarty was the 14th overall pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Merzlikins was practicing in the starter's crease at the Blue Jackets' morning skate on Thursday, but has suffered an undisclosed injury and will not play against the Buffalo Sabres. The 30-year-old Merzlikins has a 3.18 GAA and .892 SV% in 53 games this season (26-21-5).
Utah has given Vejmelka the heaviest workload of any netminder over the previous two months, and he will likely return to the crease for his 22nd consecutive start on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Vejmelka was solid in his most recent outing, saving 18 of 19 shots (.947 SV%) in a 7-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The 28-year-old Czech goalie has a 2.51 GAA and .907 SV% in 55 games this season (25-21-7). Utah enters Thursday's contest as sizeable -201 home favorites against a Nashville team coming off a back-and-forth 7-6 overtime win over the New York Islanders.
Colorado is coming off a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights and will likely turn to Blackwood between the pipes on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Blackwood struggled in his most recent outing, allowing four goals on 21 shots (.810 SV%) in a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The 28-year-old netminder has a 2.23 GAA and .916 SV% in 35 games with Colorado this season (22-10-3). Colorado enters Thursday's contest as sizeable -223 home favorites against a Vancouver team coming off a roller coaster come-from-behind 6-5 overtime win over the Dallas Stars.
Soderblom has battled some injuries lately, playing only four games since March 18th, and could miss another contest on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. The 23-year-old Soderblom is averaging 13:22 time-on-ice and has 11 points (4G / 7A) in 26 games this season.
The Red Wings likely need a miracle to make the playoffs after their loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, but they will look for a victory on Thursday, rolling with Talbot between the pipes. Talbot has been excellent lately, posting a 2.00 GAA and .934 SV% in four April games (2-1-1). He has a 2.85 GAA and .904 SV% in 44 appearances this season (20-18-4). The Red Wings enter Thursday's contest as +176 road underdogs against a Florida Panthers team coming off a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Murphy is averaging 20:44 time-on-ice, recording 19 points (2G / 17A), a -2 plus/minus rating, 156 blocks, and 114 hits in 65 games this season. Louis Crevier will draw into the lineup as Murphy's replacement.
Connor Murphy (illness) will not play on Thursday against the Boston Bruins, allowing Crevier to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Crevier is averaging 17:30 time-on-ice and has four points (3G / 1A) in 30 games this season.
Del Mastro has not played since April 2nd but will draw back into the lineup on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. The 22-year-old Del Mastro is averaging 18:12 time-on-ice and has six points (2G / 4A) in 23 games this season.
Pat Maroon will draw back into Chicago's lineup on Thursday against the Boston Bruins, resulting in Reichel being a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Reichel is averaging 11:57 time-on-ice and has 21 points (7G / 14A) in 68 games this season.
