Jones was recalled from Bakersfield (AHL) after Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell was injured. Jones sat as a healthy scratch last night but is expected to replace Chris Wideman on Friday. Jones is Seth Jones’ brother but doesn’t have the exact same skillset. Jones is a physical defenseman with a little offensive upside, picking up 12 points (2G / 10A) in 21 games with the Condors this season.
Rittich allowed one goal on five shots after replacing Mike Smith in the Flames win over the Flyers on Wednesday. With Smith listed as day-to-day, Rittich could get the next couple of games. The 26-year-old is 4-3-0 with a 1.72 GAA, .946 SV% and one shutout on the road this season.
Edmundson missed Tuesday’s game vs. the Panthers and will be a game-time decision Friday vs. the Avalanche. Edmundson would replace Jordan Schmaltz if he plays. He has one goal and six assists (seven points) in 26 games this season.
Kuemper allowed four goals on 26 shots in the Coyotes loss in Boston on Tuesday. Despite Adin Hill playing spectacularly while Kuemper was out, they will stick with Kuemper tonight in Buffalo. Kuemper has gone 2-4-1 with a 3.30 GAA and .895 SV% on the road this season, so look at your other options before rolling with Kuemper.
With Oscar Klefbom out for an extended period of time, it looks like Jones will jump from the AHL to the NHL and leapfrog Chris Wideman and Jason Garrison on the depth chart. Jones, who was a fourth-round pick in 2015, has two goals and 10 assists (12 points) in 21 games with Bakersfield this season.
Edmundson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, so look for Jordan Schmaltz to replace him on the blueline. Monitor Edmundson’s status leading up to Friday’s game vs. the Avalanche.
Kuemper has been out since November 21st but will start tonight with the red-hot Adin Hill serving as his backup. Kuemper has struggled at times this season, particularly on the road. The 28-year-old is 2-3-1 with an ugly 3.17 GAA and .902 SV% in six starts outside of Arizona.
Copley allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Capitals win in New York on November 24th. Copley hasn’t played much when Braden Holtby is healthy but he’ll get a chance tonight in a non-back-to-back situation. Copley is 4-2-0 with a 2.88 GAA and .900 SV% in seven starts on the road this season.
Lewis has been out since November 13th and is expected to miss at least a couple more weeks after suffering a setback. The Kings recently added Nikita Scherbak and Brendan Leipsic, so their Kings bottom-6 will be O.K. without Lewis.
Rittich surrendered four goals on 28 shots in the Flames loss to the Stars last Wednesday. Rittich has lost two straight starts but finished November at 5-1-1 with a 2.30 GAA, .911 SV% and one shutout. Tonight he will take on a Blue Jackets team that has won eight of their last 12 (8-3-1) contests.
Rittich allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Flames 2-0 loss in Vegas last Friday. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Rittich, who is 6-1-0 with a 1.86 GAA, .928 SV% and one shutout in his last seven outings. Despite a strong start from Mike Smith in their last game, Rittich has clearly taken over as the Flames No.1 netminder. The Stars come in on the tail-end of a back-to-back having lost four of their last five games (1-3-1).
Kuemper, who had an extended run as the Coyotes No.1 netminder while Antti Raanta was out, will now take some time on the shelf. Raanta is back, so the Coyotes have recalled Adin Hill to serve as the backup while Kuemper is sidelined.
Copley was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots in the Capitals overtime win in Montreal on Monday. Copley has seen quite a bit of work in November, going 3-1-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .909 SV% in five starts this month. However, the 26-year-old has struggled on the road all year, posting a 3.50 GAA and .885 SV% in six games.
Copley was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots in the Capitals overtime win in Montreal on Monday. Copley has seen quite a bit of work in November, going 3-1-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .909 SV% in five starts this month. However, the 26-year-old has struggled on the road all year, posting a 3.50 GAA and .885 SV% in six games.
