Ice Chips: Leafs considering starting Stolarz back-to-back nights
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Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are considering starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz against the New Jersey Devils tonight after he started their season-opening loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
Stolarz was strong in his debut for Toronto, allowing one power-play goal in the 1-0 defeat. Joseph Woll was expected to start until he was placed on injured reserve hours before puck drop.
The team called up Dennis Hildeby, who traveled with them to Montreal, but head coach Craig Berube is considering going with the veteran Stolarz again.
"It's something we've got to discuss here," Berube told TSN's Mark Masters after the game on Wednesday.
Philippe Myers, Timothy Liljegren and Ryan Reaves practiced on Thursday morning, while Bobby McMann did not. Masters suggests that McMann will start in place of Reaves against the Devils. Reaves skated just over seven minutes in the season opener.
There was only one instance of a Maple Leafs goaltender starting both games of a back-to-back all of last season - when Martin Jones started against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks on January 2 and 3 - both of which were victories.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks recalled forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL on Thursday, general manager Patrik Allvin announced.
Bains played in eight games last season for the Canucks, where he did not register a point.
The 23-year-old joined the Canucks organization in March of 2022, when he was signed as an undrafted free agent.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators skated the following lines in practice on Thursday:
Tkachuk-Stützle-Giroux
Greig-Norris-Batherson
Perron-Pinto-Amadio
Gregor-Gaudette-Cousins
MacEwen
Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Jensen
Kleven-Hamonic
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Linus Ullmark was the first goaltender off the ice, and will start the opener.
The Senators open their regular season schedule against the defending-champion Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Nashville Predators
Scott Wedgewood is slated to start the season opener for the Nashville Predators, as Juuse Saros is dealing with a lower-body injury and has been ruled out after testing it in morning skate.
Head coach Andrew Brunette told 102.5 The Game that the team would evaluate Saros after morning skate on Thursday.
Saros suffered a lower-body injury late in camp for the Predators.
The 10-year veteran finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting last season when he posted a .906 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.86.
Nashville opens their regular season against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
New Jersey Devils
Jacob Markstrom was the first goalie off the ice and will be the starter in net for the Devils against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Markstrom allowed a goal in New Jersey's season-opening victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Prague last week. The 34-year-old joined the Devils this past offseason after spending the the last four years with the Calgary Flames.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forward Boone Jenner had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and has not been given a timeframe for return to the lineup, per Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell.
"Our hope is he can return before the end of the season," Waddell said.
Jenner suffered an upper-body injury in practice on Monday.
The 31-year-old captain scored 22 goals and finished with 35 points in 58 games a season ago.
Minnesota Wild
Defenceman Declan Chisholm, who the Minnesota Wild said was sick on Wednesday, did not practice on Thursday.
The 24-year-old is likely to be out of the lineup for their season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chisholm scored three goals and tallied eight points in 29 games last season for the Wild.
Filip Gustavsson is also slated to start their season opener. The Swedish veteran played in 45 games last season and held a 3.06 goals against average.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals skated the following lines in practice on Thursday:
Ovechkin-Strome-Mangiapane
McMichael-Dubois-Wilson
Vrana/Milano-Lapierre-Protas
Duhaime-Dowd-Raddysh
Chychrun-Carlson
Fehervary-Roy
Sandin-Trevor van Riemsdyk
Alexeyev-McIlrath
Lindgren
Thompson
Jakob Vrana and Sonny Milano rotated in the left wing spot in the third line, and Logan Thompson was absent from practice due to a personal family matter, per The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir.
Washington opens their regular-season schedule on Saturday against the Devils.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins skated the following lines in practice on Thursday:
Zacha-Lindholm-Pastrnak
Marchand-Coyle-Geekie
Tufte-Frederic-Brazeau
Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke
Jones-Poitras-Johnson
Zadorov-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Wotherspoon-Peeke
Lohrei-Mitchell
Jeremy Swayman is expected to start for the Bruins against the Canadiens on Thursday.