Checking in on some notable injuries around the NHL...
Frederik Andersen will not play for Maple Leafs on Wednesday
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday night looks even more costly the next day.
Not only did they lose a 3-1 lead, at home, to a team they are directly competing with for a playoff spot, but they also lost their starting goalie to a neck injury.
Frederik Andersen will not travel with the team to New York for Wednesday’s game against the Rangers and is currently listed as being “day-to-day” with a neck injury. Backup Michael Hutchinson will start in his place and be backed up by Kasimir Kaskisuo who was called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Tuesday.
This is a pretty significant situation to watch because the Maple Leafs are going to be in a lot of trouble if Andersen is not healthy. Their goaltending depth has been a major issue this season as neither Hutchinson or Kaskisuo (only one appearance, for what it’s worth) have been consistent enough.
While Andersen is 24-9-6 in his appearances with a .910 save percentage, the other two are just 4-9-1 with a combined .882 save percentage.
Hutchinson replaced Andersen on Monday and allowed three goals on the 13 shots he faced.
Ekman-Larsson to miss second straight game for Coyotes
Huge game in the Pacifici Division on Tuesday night when the Arizona Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers.
The Coyotes will be without Oliver Ekman-Larsson, their captain and best overall defenseman, for the second straight game as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury.
Arizona enters the game in the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks and three points back of the Oilers for the second playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Given that Edmonton still has two games in a hand a regulation win on Tuesday would be significant for the Coyotes.
They enter Tuesday on a five-game losing streak while also having lost eight out of their previous nine. They have collected just five out of a possible 18 points (1-5-3 record) during that stretch.
Samsonov shaken up in practice
The Washington Capitals received a bit of a scare in practice on Tuesday when goalie Ilya Samsonov was hit up high by an Alex Ovechkin shot and had to leave practice.
Here's what @KgriggsPhoto caught on video of Samsonov's close shave. HC Todd Reirden says he took the Ovechkin shot, "to the head."
— Chip Brierre (@Chip_Brierre) February 4, 2020
Samsonov was taken off as a precaution, get checked by doctors. Vitek Vanacek will be recalled to backup in case Samsonov isn't cleared #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/FeFhfV2qqf
He was not expected to start Tuesday’s game, but the Capitals did call up Vitek Vanecek from the AHL as a precautionary measure.
Samsonov, one of the NHL’s top rookies so far this season, has also been the Capitals’ best goalie.
No word on Barkov for game against Columbus
The most impressive thing about Florida’s big win against Toronto on Monday night -- they did it without star center Aleksander Barkov who missed the game due to a lower-body injury.
They have another massive game in their playoff push on Tuesday night when they face a Columbus Blue Jackets team that is 17-2-5 in its past 24 games.
The Panthers held an optional morning skate on Tuesday, so there is no official word on whether or not they will get Barkov back.
The initial diagnosis on his injury is that he is “day-to-day.”
If he does not return Tuesday, the Panthers’ next game will be on Thursday at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Related: Another injury for Blue Jackets as Wennberg to miss 3-4 weeks
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.
