RALEIGH, N.C. -- After a much-needed rest following a Tuesday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in which he allowed five goals on 37 shots, Cam Ward appears ready to return to the Hurricanes crease in time to face one of the NHL's top teams.

Despite Carolina coach Kirk Muller not holding a formal pre-game skate, Ward took to the ice Friday to face a few shots in anticipation of team's game against the Los Angeles Kings. Ward has faced 75 shots in his two appearances this season, posting a 0-1-1 record with a 3.90 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. So he will likely be busy against the Kings, especially considering the Hurricanes allow an average of 31.2 shots per game.

This week, I was able to sit down with Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, who as coach of the resurgent Colorado Avalanche is one of the great stories in the opening days of the 2013-14 NHL season.

He was great to talk to, and one word I would use to describe him would be "focused." Focused on his responsibility, which is coaching the Colorado Avalanche. It's not about him. He kept using the word "partnership," that he's in a partnership with the players. He's not above them, they're not above him. He's trying to help them improve. He wants to help them be as good as they can be. He was adamant about the fact that he views it as a partnership. That really impressed me.

And that message is being received loud and clear.

At 7:39 of the first period in the Jets/Wild game, video review supported the referee's call on the ice that the puck deflected off Jonas Brodin and into the net in a legal fashion. According to Rule 78.4 "if an attacking player has the puck deflect into the net, off his skate or body, in any manner, the goal shall be allowed." Good goal Minnesota.

At 9:32 of the first period in the Blue Jackets/Sabres game, the Situation Room initiated a video review but the referee informed the video room that he had killed the play when he lost sight of the puck. This is not a reviewable play.

ANAHEIM – In anticipation of their home opener Thursday night against the New York Rangers, the Anaheim Ducks will have a lineup similar to what they thought they would have when the season started.

Emerson Etem is expected to make his season debut after a lower-body injury kept him out the first three games. Etem, a local product from Long Beach, is eager to get going after posting three goals and 10 points in 38 regular-season games in 2012-13 before taking off in the postseason with three goals and five points in seven games.

"I feel like a kid in a candy store again," Etem said. "It just feels so great to be with the guys each and every day in the locker room and sharing the laughs that I missed over the past couple of weeks. They've been doing a great job as a support system and pushing me to get back. That's a huge reason I'm here."

ANAHEIM -- Brad Richards stated the obvious when it comes to the state of the New York Rangers.

Coming off an ugly 9-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Rangers will be without Rick Nash for at least Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks and reportedly Saturday as well.

"It's not ideal, that's for sure," Richards said. "That's about all I can really say. We want him back. We need him, but we don't have him. People got to step up and we've got to find another way to play that even more simple [game]. We can't dwell on it. We hope he's back as quick as possible, obviously.

"It looked like he was just getting his game together there against L.A. [on Monday]. He's pretty dominant when that happens. We want him back ASAP."

The Calgary Flames had one player in NHL.com's preseason top 200 rankings, making them the League's least represented team entering the season from a fantasy standpoint.

That player was Mike Cammalleri (C/LW, 38 percent owned), who has yet to play a game due to an upper-body injury. Only defenseman Dennis Wideman (average draft position: 129.1), left wing Sven Baertschi (156.1) and goalie Karri Ramo (173.3) have been drafted on average in Yahoo leagues.

But whether or not a player is selected in fantasy leagues should not always dictate his value moving forward. Therefore, rookie center Sean Monahan could end up boosting your team off the waiver wire if he continues to impress during his nine-game NHL tryout.

Ten games on the ice Thursday night in the NHL and NHL Live, at 5 p.m. ET on NHL Network, will get you ready for the action and bring you live into the arena for the 7 p.m. starts in our Ice Pass.

In our College Hockey Report, we'll be joined by Penn State men's ice hockey captain Tommy Olczyk as the team gets set to open their new arena and the Big 10 Ice Hockey season.

Also, a great friend of the show and huge hockey fan, David Boreanaz will stop by our studio at the NHL Store in New York City. David is currently in his ninth season starring on the Fox drama "Bones" and has played numerous other roles in TV and film. He's also a huge Philadelphia Flyers fan and enjoys playing hockey as well. Plus, we've got game previews from all around the League on a very busy Thursday.

Remember to submit your #AskEJ questions through Twitter via @NHLNetwork or @EJHradek_NHL, and join the conversation on Twitter as we ask you to pick the game of the night.