Whether you’re interested for fantasy hockey reasons or just want to know which goalie your team is playing in a given day, we thought it might be helpful to share our best guesses (based on various previews from newspapers and Web sites plus our own instincts) on who might start each day.
7:00 PM ET games
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo
Likely Pittsburgh starter: Marc-Andre Fleury - Word is that Brent Johnson was going to get the start, but came down with the flu and is likely to play in the Penguins’ next game instead. (Source: Inside Pittsburgh Sports.)
Likely Buffalo starter: Jhonas Enroth - No Ryan Miller tonight. There’s a slight chance the Sabres might start former Penguins goalie Patrick Lalime, though. (Source: another Inside Pittsburgh Sports Tweet.)
Columbus @ NY Islanders
Likely Columbus starter: Mathieu Garon - The Blue Jackets have enjoyed the work of both of their goalies in their improbable month of brilliance, so don’t expect much - if any - drop off from Steve Mason to Garon. (Source: Aaron Portzline.)
Likely NY Islanders starter: Rick DiPietro - He actually looked pretty good in his last start, so maybe he can help the Islanders end their ugly losing streak? It won’t be easy against the road rugged Blue Jackets (7-1-0 away record). (Source: NY Islanders.)
Washington @ Carolina
Likely Washington starter: Semyon Varlamov - No guarantee at all, but my guess is that this means Braden Holtby’s days are probably numbered. (Source: Katie Carrera.)
Likely Carolina starter: Justin Peters - The Hurricanes have been up-and-down lately, but one common thread is that they’ve only won with Cam Ward. Peters will try to earn his first win of the season the hard way tonight. (Source: Canes Country.)
Detroit @ Atlanta
Likely Detroit starter: Jimmy Howard - He’s been a little off his game lately, but Howard is still the clear starter in Detroit. (Source: Winging it in Motown.)
Likely Atlanta starter: Ondrej Pavelec - It seems like he’s starting to take hold of the “1a” job in Atlanta. (Source: Chris Vivlamore.)
7:30 PM ET games
Los Angeles @ Montreal
Likely Los Angeles starter: Jonathan Bernier - Much has been made of the fact that this is a homecoming for Bernier. Will that mean a high-end performance or a pressure-packed meltdown? (Source: Rich Hammond.)
Likely Montreal starter: Carey Price - I almost feel a bit bad for Alex Auld; he’s actually a pretty good backup. Yet Price has played so well, it’s hard to argue with the Habs starting him once again. (Source: Habs Inside/Out.)
Dallas @ Ottawa
Likely Dallas starter: Andrew Raycroft - Smart move by the Stars, as Kari Lehtonen might have been getting a little worn down and the team has back-to-back games coming up this weekend. (Source: Defending Big D.)
Likely Ottawa starter: Pascal Leclaire - Makes sense after he helped Ottawa get a surprise win over the Kings. (Source: Silver Seven Sens.)
Calgary @ New Jersey
Likely Calgary starter: Henrik Karlsson - A rare non-Kipper start for the Flames. (Source: Roger Millions.)
Likely New Jersey starter: Johan Hedberg - It appears that Martin Brodeur isn’t ready to come back yet. (Source: Tom Gulitti.)
NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay
Likely NY Rangers starter: Henrik Lundqvist - Dare I call it the return of the Kings? Sorry, I guess I did. Not sure if it’s a guarantee he’ll be back, but I’d say the chances are pretty good.
Likely Tampa Bay starter: Mike Smith - Just when it seemed like Dan Ellis had a loose grip on the top job, Smith is now the not-quite-proverbial hot hand. (Source: Mike Corcoran.)
Boston @ Florida
Likely Boston starter: Tim Thomas (Source: Joe Haggerty.)
Likely Florida starter: Tomas Vokoun (Source: George Richards.)