NHL Player News

Makar scored twice in AHL Colorado's 2-1 win over Calgary on Sunday.

Makar's offense has come on nicely over the last couple of weeks. He has six goals and three assists over his last seven outings, giving him 14 goals and 23 points across 48 appearances in his AHL rookie year. He's seen a couple of call-ups with the Avalanche but could need another year or two of development before he'll be a regular with the big club.

Gritsyuk (undisclosed) won't play against Chicago on Sunday, per Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News.

Gritsyuk will miss his third straight game, and it remains unclear when he will be available to return to the lineup. He has generated 13 goals, 31 points, 149 shots on net and 58 hits across 66 appearances this campaign.

Allen will start Sunday's home game against Chicago, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reports.

Allen has seen limited playing time in recent weeks, as Sunday's start will be just his fourth appearance since the beginning of March. Across his last three outings, he has gone 2-1-0 with a 3.03 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Ersson will get the start Sunday against the Stars, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Ersson has won four straight starts, allowing just seven goals in those contests. The 26-year-old is 12-10-5 on the season with a 3.20 GAA and an .867 save percentage. The Flyers are on the second of a back-to-back, but so are the Stars. Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday, posting six goals against the Penguins.

Texier (lower body) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Hurricanes.

Texier continues to deal with a lower-body injury, and he'll be unavailable for a third consecutive game. Joe Veleno will remain in the lineup Sunday, while Arber Xhekaj will also enter the lineup as a seventh defenseman since Josh Anderson (illness) is also sidelined.

Anderson (illness) won't play against Carolina on Sunday, according to Canadiens reporter Priyanta Emrith.

Anderson will miss additional action after leaving Saturday's 4-1 win over Nashville early. He has contributed 13 goals, nine assists, 80 shots on net, 119 hits and 54 PIM across 64 appearances this season. With Anderson and Alexandre Texier (lower body) unavailable to play against the Hurricanes, Arber Xhekaj will suit up as the seventh defender in Sunday's lineup.

Johansson will tend the goal Sunday against the Predators, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Johansson will get just his third start in Tampa Bay's 15 games during the month of March. The 30-year-old hasn't picked up a win since Jan. 12, posting a record of 0-3-1 in his last four starts. He is 10-9-2 on the season with a 3.26 GAA and an .883 save percentage. After a five-game win streak, the Predators have taken losses in back-to-back games while scoring only three goals over those two contests.

Paul (illness) will play against Nashville on Sunday, according to Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

After sitting out Saturday's 4-2 win over Ottawa, Paul will return to a fourth-line role against the Predators on Sunday. He has accounted for seven goals, 13 points, 52 shots on net and 56 hits across 41 appearances this season.

Annunen will get the start in net for Sunday's game against the Lightning, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Annunen's three-game streak of games with a save percentage of .900 or better was snapped last time out as he surrendered three goals on 29 shots in a loss to the Devils. He'll be fighting an uphill battle in his effort to rebound Sunday against the Lightning, who have scored at least three goals in seven straight games. The 26-year-old Annunen has an 8-10-2 record on the season with a 2.90 GAA and an .898 save percentage.

Kucherov (illness) won't play against Nashville on Sunday, according to Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

Kucherov was not on the ice for pregame warmups and will miss his second straight game. He has accumulated 40 goals, 121 points and 205 shots on net across 67 appearances this season. Kucherov's next opportunity to play will come against Montreal on Tuesday.