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San Jose Sharks News
Vanecek is expected to start Thursday vs. the Islanders.

Vanecek allowed just two goals on 34 shots in the Capitals' win over the Islanders on Tuesday. It was another solid showing from the young netminder, who is now 3-0-2 with a 2.70 GAA and .918 SV% on the season. With a shorthanded group in front of him, goal support may be difficult to come by but the Islanders have had their own offensive struggles, scoring just 1.83 goals per game (30th).

Vitek Vanecek
Vanecek led the Capitals onto the ice for warmups.

Vanecek allowed three goals on 48 shots in the Capitals' shootout loss to Buffalo on Sunday. With Ilya Samsonov still in COVID-19 protocol, Vanecek is expected to make his fourth straight start on Tuesday. Vanecek has played well so far, going 2.87 GAA and .912 SV% in his first four starts of the season.

Vitek Vanecek
Sturm (illness) will draw back into the Wild's lineup on Tuesday.

Sturm has missed the last two games with an illness but will replace Brad Hunt in the lineup Tuesday vs. the Kings. Sturm, who will skate on the fourth line with Victor Rask and Ryan Hartman, has no points and nine shots on goal in four games this season.

Nico Sturm
Vanecek is in the starter's crease at the Capitals' morning skate.

Vanecek allowed three goals on 48 shots in the Capitals' shootout loss to Buffalo on Sunday. With Ilya Samsonov still in COVID-19 protocol, Vanecek is expected to make his fourth straight start on Tuesday. Vanecek has played well so far, going 2.87 GAA and .912 SV% in his first four starts of the season.

Vitek Vanecek
Georgiev will start Tuesday in Buffalo.

Georgiev was pulled after allowing four goals on 20 shots in the Rangers' loss to New Jersey last Tuesday. Igor Shesterkin started the last two games but lost both, so they'll come back to Georgiev on Tuesday. He posted a 23-save shutout in his first start of the season but draws a tough assignment against a Sabres team that is playing good hockey to start the season.

Alexandar Georgiev
Nutivaara (COVID-19 protocol) will travel on the Panthers' upcoming road-trip.

Nutivaara missed the first two games of the season due to COVID-19 protocol but will travel on the Panthers' upcoming trip to Columbus and Detroit. He skated on the "fourth pair" in Monday's practice, suggesting that his Panthers debut may not come until the second game of the trip, Thursday vs. his former team.

Markus Nutivaara
Thornton will miss at least four weeks with a rib fracture.

Thornton left Wednesday's game following a collision in the third period and appeared to be in obvious discomfort. He underwent further evaluation on Thursday and the Maple Leafs announced he's dealing with a fractured rib on Friday morning. In addition to Thornton, Auston Matthews is also dealing with an upper-body injury, so both Adam Brooks and Pierre Engvall will enter the Maple Leafs lineup vs. Edmonton.

Joe Thornton
Thornton (upper-body) will not play on Friday.

Thornton was hurt early in the third period of Wednesday's loss to the Oilers and did not return. Thornton was not on the ice for Thursday's practice and is scheduled to undergo an MRI. Early indications are that Thornton is going to miss some time. Look for Jimmy Vesey to skate with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Friday.

Joe Thornton
Vanecek will start Friday in Buffalo.

Vanecek will make his NHL debut on Friday after going 19-10-1 with a 2.26 GAA and .917 SV% in 31 games with Hershey (AHL) a season ago. The 2014 second-round pick will get quite a bit of work this season after Henrik Lundqvist was forced to sit out for the year. A matchup with a Sabres team that scored four on Ilya Samsonov last night keeps him out of the streaming pool this early in the season.

Vitek Vanecek
Georgiev will start Saturday vs. the Islanders.

Igor Shesterkin started the season opener but they will turn to Georgiev in the rematch vs. the Islanders. The 24-year-old netminder was 17-14-2 with a 3.04 GAA and .910 SV% in 34 appearances a year ago. If he doesn't improve on those numbers in 2020, Shesterkin will get a very large portion of the starts. Georgiev faced the Islanders four times last year, going 3-1-0 with a 2.81 GAA and .920 SV%.

Alexandar Georgiev
White will be a healthy scratch in the Senators season opener.

White, who played most of last season as the Senators' No.1 centre, has plummeted down the depth chart during training camp. According to head coach DJ Smith, there are "four centres ahead of him that had good camps." Those four centres are Josh Norris, newcomer Derek Stepan, Chris Tierney and Artem Anisimov.

Colin White