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Goalie nods: Jared Coreau makes NHL debut for Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings v Columbus Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 17: Jared Coreau #31 of the Detroit Red Wings warms up prior to the start of the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 17, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

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With Jimmy Howard still sidelined with an injury, and the Detroit Red Wings playing a set of back-to-back games this weekend, Petr Mrazek is getting the night off on Saturday evening.

Coach Jeff Blashill announced earlier in the day that Jared Coreau will be making his NHL debut tonight. He is going to get quite a test right off the bat as the Red Wings are sending him right into the deep end of the pool as he has to go against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 25-year-old Coreau joined the Red Wings organization as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Michigan university back in 2013-14. He has spent all of his time since then playing for Toledo of the ECHL and Grand Rapids of the AHL, and been mostly impressive when given the opportunity with a .924 save percentage in 85 starts for Grand Rapids over the past three years. The thing that stands out the most about him is probably the fact is listed at 6-5, 220 pounds. He is part of the new wave of goaltenders entering the NHL that are absolutely massive in size.

At the other end of the ice, the Penguins are going back to Marc-Andre Fleury after he made one of his best starts of the season on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, stopping 33 out of 35 shots in a 6-2 win.

The Penguins are still trying to figure out how to handle their tag-team duo with Matt Murray and Fleury, but for the time being it simply seems to be coach Mike Sullivan sticking with the hot hand. For a while, that was clearly Murray and the number of starts reflected that. But as his play has cooled off a bit in recent starts Fleury is now getting another opportunity to take back some playing time.

Elsewhere...

-- In the afternoon games we had Michael Leighton and Henrik Lundqvist going for the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, Scott Darling and Steve Mason going for the Blackhawks and Flyers, Tuukka Rask and Robin Lehner for the Bruins and Sabres, and Keith Kinkaid and Pekka Rinne for the Devils and Predators.

-- In Tampa Bay Ben Bishop will look to snap his personal four-game losing streak when he gets the start against Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals. Bishop, the runner up to Holtby in the Vezina Trophy voting a season ago, has had a tough year for the Lightning with a .902 save percentage through his first 16 appearances.

-- With Craig Anderson away from the team again to be with his wife, Mike Condon gets the start for the Ottawa Senators. Condon has a .931 save percentage in four starts since joining the Senators. He will be opposed by Roberto Luongo in the Florida net.

-- Carter Hutton makes his sixth starter of the season -- just his second since Nov. 12 -- when he gets the call for the St. Louis Blues against Winnipeg. The Jets’ goalie rotation is likely to land on Michael Hutchinson after he was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate.

-- Frederik Andersen looks to build on his strong November (.931 save percentage in 12 appearances) when he goes for the Toronto Maple Leafs against Ryan Miller and the Vancouver Canucks.

Updated: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported this afternoon that the Maple Leafs called up Antoine Bibeau on an emergency basis, but Andersen is still expected to start against the Canucks.

-- Sergei Bobrovsky get a night off for the Columbus Blue Jackets as Curtis McElhinney goes against the Arizona Coyotes. Arizona starts Mike Smith.

-- Semyon Varlamov will make his second start in a row when the Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Varlamov has had a tough start to the season with a league-leading 10 losses entering play on Saturday and a .905 save percentage. The Stars have yet to announce their starting goalie. Antti Niemi allowed five goals against the Penguins on Thursday night.

-- John Gibson (Anaheim) will go against Cam Talbot (Edmonton) in the late game.