The Stars may elect to start Scott Wedgewood in back-to-back game, pitting him against Ilya Samsonov's Maple Leafs, and a clash between the 2022 Eastern Conference finalists Lightning and Rangers awaits.
Wednesday, Feb. 7. Three-game slate.
* = confirmed or expected
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at Igor Shesterkin, NYR (7 p.m. ET)
Scott Wedgewood, DAL* at Ilya Samsonov, TOR (7 p.m. ET)
Filip Gustavsson, MIN* at Petr Mrazek, CHI (9:30 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
(< 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues)
Scott Wedgewood, DAL at TOR (17% rostered)
The Stars allowed 48 (!) shots against the Sabres on Tuesday and now face a more rested Leafs squad coming off a tough 3-2 loss to the Isles. While I don't doubt the Stars will come out with a better defensive effort, this doesn't look like an enticing matchup for Wedgewood, who has won just twice in his past seven appearances.
The upside is the long layoff should've benefitted Wedgwood, who seemed to run out of steam as the starter taking over for Jake Oettinger. You're hoping for at least a good save percentage in this matchup. A win seems far less likely.
Petr Mrazek, CHI vs. MIN (32% rostered)
I don't find this matchup too lopsided, even though the Hawks are headed for the lottery and the Wild still 17 points ahead. Mrazek has not allowed more than three goals in nine straight appearances, and he entered the All-Star Weekend with seven straight games with a save percentage of .900 or better.
Meanwhile, Filip Gustavsson has struggled lately, and while he hasn't allowed more than three goals in five straight starts, his performances have been far more lackluster, especially relative to expectations. I think there's a chance for an upset here, and considering how sluggish the offense has looked coming out of the break, you're hoping for a low-scoring affair. Mrazek's a dice roll, but I find a blowout loss unlikely.