Smith was yanked after he allowed three goals on 11 shots in the Flames loss to the Ducks on Wednesday. He was given Saturday night off, so he’ll be well rested for tonight’s game in Los Angeles. Smith has gone 2-0-1 with a 2.59 GAA and .922 SV% in three starts against the Kings this season.

Smith surrendered three goals on 28 shots in the Flames loss in Arizona on Monday. Since returning to the crease, Smith has lost four of five starts while posting an ugly 3.68 GAA and .872 SV%. Tonight he faces a Ducks team that he has had a lot of success against this season—going 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA and .965 SV% in the first three meetings of the season.

Demers have recalled Trevor Murphy from Tucson (AHL) to replace Demers through the last few weeks of the season. Demers’ season ends with 20 points (6G / 14A) and a minus-4 rating in 69 games .

Smith stopped all 28 shots that he faced in the Flames 1-0 shutout win over the Oilers on Tuesday. Smith has had one good and one bad start since returning to the Flames crease and tonight he will make his third consecutive start. In his first start vs. the Sharks, Smith allowed three goals on 29 shots in a 3-2 loss.

Smith allowed four goals on 26 shots in his return to the Flames crease—a 5-2 loss to the Islanders on Sunday. Smith will likely be leaned on heavily down the stretch as the Flames come in to tonight two points out of the final Wild Card in the Western Conference. Smith is 0-1-0 with a 4.24 GAA and .901 SV% v.s Edmonton this season.

Smith will start for the first time since February 11th and it will come against an Islanders team that has lost eight consecutive starts. Smith recorded a win in his first start vs. the Isles and comes into tonight’s game at 12-12-3 with a 2.89 GAA and .905 SV% on home ice this season.

Janamrk was a late scratch from Friday’s game vs. the Ducks but he was back on the ice for today’s morning skate and is expected to play in Pittsburgh. Janmark, who will start the game on a line with Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, has 17 goals and 15 assists (32 points) in 67 games this season.

Smith has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since February 11th but he returned to the ice for practice in Buffalo today. This is a big step in Smith’s recovery but he will likely need a number of skates before he is ready to return to the Flames’ crease.

Nugent-Hopkins has missed the last 18 games with a sternum/ribs injury but it looks like he is set to return tomorrow. The Oilers season is over, but RNH has a chance to build off of a strong first-half of the season, where he picked up 16 goals and 15 assists (31 points) in 46 games.

With Kyle Okposo’s wife in labour and questionable for Wednesday, Griffith has been recalled to presumably take his spot in the lineup. Griffith had three points (2G / 1A) in 18 games with the Sabres earlier this season. During his time in Rochester, he has 13 goals and 21 assists (34 points) in 36 games.

Kane brings size, speed and scoring to the Sharks, who are in need of top-6 goal scoring help. Kane has scored 20 goals and 20 assists (40 points) in 61 games this season. If he does not re-sign with the Sharks this season, the 1st round pick in 2019 becomes a 2nd round pick.

With a possible trade on the horizon the Sabres will make sure that Kane remains healthy, so he will sit tonight. There’s a good chance that Thursday’s game in Detroit was Kane’s last with the Sabres.