Allen allowed three goals on 17 shots in the Canadiens win in Vancouver on January 21st. It wasn't as solid as his debut with Montreal but it was enough to move Allen to 2-0-0 to start the season. With a back-to-back coming up on Monday and Tuesday, it's surprising that Allen will get this start. He'll face a Flames team that has lost three in a row while being outscored 11-to-7.
Noesen has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace John Leonard in the lineup on Thursday. Noesen has no points and two shots on goal in three games this season.
Bratt has cleared COVID-19 protocol and has been added to the added roster, which clears the way for him to make his season debut on Thursday. It seems likely that Bratt will replace Nick Merkley in the lineup since Merkley was sent to the taxi squad in a subsequent move. Bratt has three straight seasons of 30-plus points, scoring a career-high 16 goals with 16 assists (32 points) in 60 games last year.
Markstrom allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Flames loss to the Maple Leafs on Sunday. Since his opening night loss in Winnipeg, Markstrom has gone 2-1-0 while turning aside 86 of the 91 shots (.945 SV%) that he's faced in his last three games. Tonight he gets a rematch vs. a Toronto team that has won four of their last five games while scoring 2.80 goals per game.
Noesen was a healthy scratch on Monday but will replace Frederik Händemark in the lineup on Wednesday. After playing on the fourth line on Saturday, Noesen will play with Dylan Gambrell and John Leonard on Wednesday.
Allen served as Carey Price’s backup in the first two games of the season but will make his Canadiens debut Monday in Edmonton. There are easier matchups than facing Connor McDavid in your debut but he is 5-2-0 vs. Edmonton in the last three seasons. The 30-year-old is coming off of a 12-6-3, 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% in 2020, so he is one of the most reliable backup options in the NHL.
Markstrom stopped all 32 shots that he faced in the Flames’ shutout win over the Canucks on Saturday. It was Markstrom’s first win with the Flames and an impressive showing vs. his former team. He will get another chance tonight but the Canucks should be a little more dangerous with J.T. Miller returning from the COVID-19 reserve list.
Noesen was a healthy scratch in the season opener but will replace Joel Kellman in the lineup on Saturday afternoon. Noesen, who had eight points (6G / 2A) in 34 games for the Sharks a season ago, will skate on the fourth line with Patrick Marleau and Marcus Sorenson.
