Goalie Announcements (Oct 7)

15 games?  Really?  Any other year, this would be every team in the league, but not this year.  With the inclusion of Vegas, one team is out in the cold.  Everyone except for the Bruins will play today, so it will be a busy one.

There was a schedule change, which means one game will now start at Noon MT, so we're going to have a lot of expected goalies, when this post is published.  So, there will be a lot of maybes and probably's, so bear with me.

Let's hop right to it and we'll focus on those games that have survival implications to them.

Jonathan Bernier (Scott) versus Cory Schneider (Jeremy)
Both goalies are confirmed for the early game today, but both Scott and Jeremy are in the clear for the survivor pool, so there's no real intrigue in this game at all, other than the fact that these are two basement teams from a season ago and the Avalanche already have a win under their belts this season.

Henrik Lundqvist (Brian) versus Frederik Andersen (Mike)
Brian is still in need of a win this week and he should get a start out of the Rangers' number one Henrik Lundqvist, still unconfirmed at the time of posting this.  The Leafs shot the lights out in their opening game against the Jets on Wednesday night and this will be their home opener, so it will be a tough game to get a win out of, but it's certainly not impossible.

Jimmy Howard (Dale C.) versus Craig Anderson (Tony)
No survivor pool implications here, both Dale and Tony have their tickets punched for Week Two.  This game will be more about the bragging rights and the 2 points, more than the mini-game itself.  Dale and Tony are only 2 points away from each other in the standings, so it'll be an important game in the early part of the season.

Peter Budaj (Steve) versus James Reimer (Troy)
Neither goalie are confirmed this morning, but it should be safe to assume that both backups get the call tonight in the second half of a home-and-home series between Tampa and Florida.  This is good news for both Steve and Troy, who are both in need of wins to stick in the survivor pool.  Steve saw his other goalie dealt to Toronto and shipped down to the minors, so this game will be huge for him.  Troy should have a second shot in the late games tonight, so this game isn't quite as big for him.

Robin Lehner (Kristy & Don) versus Jaroslav Halak (Benson)
This is a big game for both the duo and for Benson, as they are both in need of wins for the survivor pool tonight, both with few chances left to recoup a win before the end of Sunday night otherwise.  Both teams are trending the right way, in terms of the building of their franchise, so this should be a pretty good game here too.

Juuse Saros (Eric) versus Matt Murray (Stacey M.)
Eric and Stacey M. are in need of wins as well, as the rematch of the Stanley Cup Finals goes tonight, with the Predators giving their premium backup a good run tonight against the Stanley Cup champion.  Stacey is running out of starts in this week and her reigning championship in this mini-game is in doubt in the first week.

Carey Price (Dale C.) versus Braden Holtby (Grant)
It's a prime time goalie match-up in Washington tonight, but it's all about the points in this one, as both Dale and Grant have their wins this week.  The points are big for both teams early on this season, as they are both in the middle-bottom of the pack right now.

Alex Stalock (N/A) versus Scott Darling (Clayton)
No mini-game intrigue here, although there really could have been, if Clayton didn't get his win from the Bruins earlier in the week, as this would be his last start of Week One.  Minnesota should be sending their backup to the crease tonight, a goalie that wasn't taken in the draft.

Kari Lehtonen (Brenda & Seward) versus Jake Allen (Cam)
It still wasn't clear , as to who the Stars will send to the crease tonight against the Blues, with Lehtonen giving up the game at home to Vegas last night, but Bishop suffering an upper-body injury in the loss.  Brenda & Seward are hoping for the Finn, as they could use the win, while Cam's only start tonight is only good for the points, as he already has his win.

Joonas Korpisalo (N/A) versus Corey Crawford (Jeremy)
The Blue Jackets are on back-to-back nights, which means they should be sending their backup out tonight, with their number one picking up a shutout last night.  Jeremy already has his win for the week, so this game doesn't have much bearing on the mini-game this week.

Malcolm Subban (N/A) versus Antti Raanta (Ryan)
This was probably the game that Calvin Pickard would have played, before he was shipped to Toronto yesterday, but it is likely that this will be the NHL debut for Malcolm Subban instead.  Ryan might be licking his chops, as Raanta will make his Arizona debut at home tonight, playing the visiting Knights, an exciting match-up for a blossoming team.

Cam Talbot (Wes) versus Jacob Markstrom (Wes)
It's an all-Wes match-up in Vancouver, as both of his goalies go head-to-head, as the Oilers will play in the Canucks' home (and season) opener tonight.  Either way, Wes should be coming away with 2 points in this one, as he already has his win for the week.

Brian Elliott (Stacey C.) versus John Gibson (Tony)
No mini-game implications in Anaheim tonight, with the Flyers continuing their California road trip to start the season.  The Flyers and Ducks will match-up well, as Philadelphia is off to a much better start and the Ducks are still one of the favourites in the Pacific, despite some injury concerns.

Steve Mason (Troy) versus Mike Smith (Ryan)
Well, if Troy or Ryan don't register a win in their early games, they'll both get a second chance in Calgary, with the Jets and the Flames duking it out.  Both Mason and Smith have played once already this week, but neither have a win and there is no better time to pick one up than now.

Jonathan Quick (Chris) versus Martin Jones (Chris)
Wes isn't the only guy to have both of his goalies playing in the same game, as the Pacific Division rivals between Los Angeles and San Jose will offer two goalie starts for Chris as well.  Given their divisional match-up, this appears that it will be a popular goaltending duo this season, at least ensuring Chris will get 2 points when these two teams play.   That's good news, I guess.