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Carolina Hurricanes News
Gardiner will be back in the Leafs' lineup on Friday.

Gardiner has been a healthy scratch in the Maple Leafs last two games, but he will be back in the lineup tonight, paired with Morgan Rielly. Stephane Robidas is expected to take a seat with Gardiner returning. The Red Wings are a really fast team so getting Gardiner's foot speed is a huge upgrade from Robidas skating.

Jake Gardiner
Staal (upper-body) is not skating on Wednesday.

Staal missed Tuesday's game and his absence this morning is not a good sign for his availability for Thursday's game vs. the Rangers. The Hurricanes will likely be getting Jeff Skinner back tomorrow, but it does not look like Staal will play. Monitor his status during tomorrow's morning skate.

Eric Staal
Gardiner appears to be a healthy scratch for the second straight game.

Gardiner was on the ice for warmups but did not take part in line rushes, so he will sit for the second straight game. When Randy Carlyle was asked what he wants Gardiner to do when he gets back in the lineup all he had to say was "play better." It is clear that Carlyle is not happy with Gardiner's play early in the year.

Jake Gardiner
Andersen leads the Ducks onto the ice for warmups.

Andersen only had to stop 11 of 12 shots to earn a 5-1 win over the Sabres last night. Despite head coach Bruce Boudreau saying both goalies would play twice on this road trip and most people believing that John Gibson would go tonight, it is Andersen who will put his 2-0 record on the line tonight vs. the winless Flyers.

Frederik Andersen
Andersen was the first goalie off of the ice at Ducks pregame skate.

Head coach Bruce Boudreau said both goalies would play twice on this road-trip which suggested John Gibson would start tonight after Andersen started vs. the Sabres last night. I guess we will have to wait until pre-game warmups to see who gets the start. Andersen faced just 12 shots (stopped 11) in the afternoon game yesterday, so he is fresh enough to play the back-to-back.

Frederik Andersen
Staal (upper-body) did not participate in Hurricanes practice on Monday.

Staal left Saturday's game following a hard collision. The Hurricanes are already without his brother Jordan and Jeff Skinner, so if Eric is to miss anytime, Carolina will be in much bigger trouble than they already are. The Hurricanes practiced with Victor Rask and Riley Nash as their top-2 centres today. Expect an update on Staal following the morning skate.

Eric Staal
Staal (upper-body) left Saturday's game and did not return.

Staal left the game after being hit hard. Original reports suggest that Staal may be suffering from concussion-like symptoms. The Hurricanes are extremely banged up already so if Staal misses any time, they are in huge trouble. He joins his brother Jordan and winger Jeff Skinner on the injury report. Expect an update on Staal on Sunday or Monday.

Eric Staal
Stastny (Lower Body) is expected to play Saturday.

Stastny missed practice friday but was back on the ice for Saturdays morning skate and is expected to in the line up vs the Flames. Stastny scored in his Blues debut and with snipers Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen on his wings, Stastny is set up for another good year so get him in your line up when he's healthy.

Paul Stastny
Stastny (lower-body) is not on the ice for the Blues practice on Friday.

Stastny was shaken up on a hit by Dan Girardi in last night's loss vs the Rangers. He stayed in the game and said that he was fine after the game. It appeared as if he got caught in the quad and could be suffering from a charlie horse, an injury that tends to tighten up the following day. Expect Stastny to play on Saturday vs. the Flames.

Paul Stastny
Andersen will start Saturday against Detroit.

The other member of the Ducks' goaltending tandem John Gibson was shelled for six goals on 39 shots in a 6-4 loss to the Penguins in the season opener. Andersen had a 20-5-0 record with a 2.29 GAA and .923 SV% in his first NHL season and followed it up with a nice preseason, so expect another strong season behind a great Ducks team. He will face the Red Wings, who beat the Bruins 2-1 in their opener.

Frederik Andersen
Stepan will miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured fibula.

Stepan is expected to miss the first 9-12 games so the Rangers will need someone to fill that hole for a month. Martin St. Louis volunteered to move to centre, but that is unlikely. This should open the door for Derick Brassard to play on the first line and give J.T Miller a huge opportunity to showcase his talent.

Derek Stepan
Staal will miss 3-4 months after undergoing successful surgery on a fractured fibula.

Staal had a bad year in 2013-14 and the Hurricanes were looking for a bounce-back season, but this is not a good start. The injury likely means that Elias Lindholm will be thrust into a larger role this season. Don't expect to see Staal until late December or mid-January.

Jordan Staal