This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
There is a new species of wasp out there, and its scientific name is Thaumatodryinus tuukkaraski. Yes, it was indeed named for Tuukka Rask, the netminder of the Boston Bruins. While this wasp was found in Kenya, a researcher from the Boston area was part of the team, and he gave the nudge toward naming it for Rask. Some reasons for why were given, but oddly, none of them apparently involve the fact the Bruins wear black and yellow jerseys, and wasps tend to be black and yellow. As for Rask, he's got bigger fish to fry. The Bruins are fighting for a playoff spot, surprisingly, and they don't have David Krejci for the time being. Rask is going to be a huge deciding factor in this battle. Can he make his wasp namesake proud?
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Flames (Jonas Hiller) at Devils (Cory Schneider) 7:30
Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury) at Capitals (Braden Holtby) 8:00
Senators (Andrew Hammond) at Ducks (John Gibson) 10:00
*Confirmed Starters
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Flames
Paul Byron, C (lower-body) – On injured reserve.
Mason Raymond, LW (personal) – Missed Tuesday's game, may play Wednesday.
Ladislav Smid, D (undisclosed) – Out indefinitely.
Matt Stajan, C (personal) – Return date unknown.
Devils
Ryane Clowe, LW (concussion) – Out for season.
Keith Kinkaid, G (groin) – Left Monday's practice early.
Bryce Salvador, D (back) – Likely out for season.
Damon Severson, D (ankle) – Not close to returning.
Penguins
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – Not returning soon.
Christian Ehrhoff, D (concussion) – May return Wednesday.
Olli Maatta, D (shoulder) – Out for season.
Capitals
John Erskine, D (neck) – On injured reserve.
Dmitry Orlov, D (wrist) – Status unknown, but outlook not good.
Senators
Craig Anderson, G (hand) – On road trip, but may not play.
Jared Cowen, D (suspension) – Suspended three games.
Robin Lehner, G (concussion) – On injured reserve.
Clarke MacArthur, LW (concussion) – On injured reserve.
Chris Neil, RW (thumb) – Out 4-5 weeks.
Chris Phillips, D (general soreness) – On injured reserve.
Zack Smith, C (wrist) – Practiced Tuesday, not ready to return yet.
Ducks
Frederik Andersen, G (upper-body) – Not likely to return soon.
Matt Beleskey, LW (upper-body) – On injured reserve.
Sheldon Souray, D (wrist) – Out for season.
Nate Thompson, C (lower-body) – Day-to-day.
Sami Vatanen, D (lower-body) – Out 4-6 weeks.
Hot
Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL – Gallagher lit the lamp twice Tuesday in a win over the St. Louis Blues, giving him 17 goals on the season. More importantly, from a hotness perspective, he has a three game point streak going on wherein he has scored four goals and notched an assist to boot. One of his goals Tuesday was on the power-play, so he's getting special teams time, and he's a plus-16 on the season. He's characterized as a grinder to an extent, but Gallagher still has offensive chops.
Michal Neuvirth, G, BUF – First off, yes, wins are a problem for Neuvirth and the Sabres. In his last six games, he's picked up two wins. However, beyond that his play has been excellent. He has only let up more than two goals once in those six games, and in that game he let in three. He hasn't had a save percentage worse than a .930 in any of those contests. Neuvirth is playing well, and if he happens to get traded, his fantasy value could get a major boost.
Cold
Justin Schultz, D, EDM – Schultz plays a ton of minutes, but he's doing very little with them. He has one point, an assist, in his last 10 games. He's a minus-7 in those games. He plays for a bad team, and he's not a part of the solution at the moment. Remember when Schultz was a highly sought after free agent? Time makes fools of us all.
Phil Kessel, RW, TOR – The Maple Leafs have been struggling for quite some time, and Kessel, an undeniably talented player, is being brought down with the ship. While he has 22 goals and 26 assists on the season, he only has one goal in his last six games, and that's his only point in that time. Kessel is also a minus-6 in those six contests. He's a good enough player to deserve patience, but right now you can't trust him.
Recommended Pickup
Eddie Lack, G, VAN – With Ryan Miller out, Lack's fantasy value is increased solely based on the fact that he's the Canucks' starting goalie for the time being. He's been good this season by and large, and he has played well since Miller's injury also. He pitched a shutout in relief of Miller against the Islanders, and then he let in only one goal on 41 shots in a win over the Boston Bruins. Lack provides you with the rare chance to pick up a good goalie who is getting starter's minutes.
