NHL Player News

DeSmith made 36 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The game had a real postseason vibe right from the start. DeSmith was outstanding, keeping his team in the contest for long stretches. He's 12-6-1 with a 2.39 GAA and a .916 save percentage. DeSmith is having a career year. You need to put him in your net every time Dallas relies on him in theirs.

Vasilevskiy made 22 saves in a 3-2 shootout win over the Stars on Thursday.

The game had playoff vibes from the drop of the puck. Vasilevskiy has won three straight games, including one shutout, and he's 33-18-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .920 save percentage in 54 starts this season. Keep pushing Vasy into your paint whenever he's in Tampa's.

Reimer stopped 27 of 30 shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Utah. The last two goals were empty-netters.

Reimer hadn't played since March 3 versus the Canadiens, so this game was as much about shaking off the rust for him ahead of this weekend's back-to-back as it was about resting Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Reimer put in a fine effort but still took his third straight loss (0-2-1) in the outing. He's now at 2-8-2 with a 3.00 GAA and an .895 save percentage over 14 appearances between the Sabres and the Ducks in 2024-25. Look for Luukkonen and Reimer to split the back-to-back as the Sabres face the Wild on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday.

Vejmelka stopped 25 of 27 shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.

Vejmelka rebounded from his poor start Tuesday versus the Oilers, turning in a strong effort to get back in the win column. He allowed a power-play goal to JJ Peterka in the first period and a shorthanded tally to Ryan McLeod in the third, but Utah pulled away late for the win. Vejmelka has alternated wins and losses over his last six outings. He's a 20-win goalie for the first time in four NHL campaigns, and he's added a 2.49 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 46 appearances. A tough matchup awaits Saturday when Utah hosts the Lightning.

Ersson made 13 saves in a 3-2 loss to Washington on Thursday.

The Flyers are really struggling. The team is 1-8-0 in its last nine games, and they had been shut out in two straight. Ersson himself is 1-4-1 in his last seven starts with 27 goals allowed. His teammates aren't giving him offensive or defensive support. Avoid him -- Ersson can't do this by himself.

Pickard stopped three of four shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets.

Pickard relieved Stuart Skinner (concussion) when the latter was removed from the game following a collision in the third period. The 32-year-old Pickard then gave up the decisive goal to Kyle Connor in overtime. Pickard is down to 17-7-1 with a 2.63 GAA and a .901 save percentage over 27 appearances this season. If Skinner misses time, Pickard will take over as the Oilers' top goalie during Skinner's absence. The Oilers host the Kraken on Saturday.

Lindgren made 27 saves, including 14 in the third period, in a 3-2 victory over the Flyers on Thursday.

The Caps were up 3-0 heading into the third, and while the Flyers managed two goals, the game was never in doubt. Lindgren has won three of his last four starts, and he's allowed just nine goals in that span. Logan Thompson continues to get a few more starts than Lindgren, but the 31-year-old Minnesotan continues to produce solid fantasy numbers. He's 16-11-3 with a 2.63 GAA and .901 save percentage in 31 starts.

Hellebuyck stopped 21 of 24 shots in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers.

Hellebuyck didn't have a great performance, but he was able to get back in the win column after his loss to the Canucks on Tuesday. Hellebuyck is the first goalie to reach the 40-win mark this season, an achievement he's accomplished twice in his career. He's 40-10-3 with a 2.06 GAA and a .924 save percentage over 54 contests. He'll now push toward surpassing his career-high 44 wins from the 2017-18 campaign. The Jets' next game is Sunday at home versus the Sabres.

Skinner was hurt in a third-period collision versus the Jets on Thursday, Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels reports. Head coach Kris Knoblauch added that Skinner was pulled by the concussion spotter, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

Skinner's injury occurred late in the contest, so it's not yet known if he's officially suffered a concussion. He allowed three goals on 16 shots prior the injury, though he didn't end up taking a result as the Jets won the game in overtime. Skinner joins Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) and Connor McDavid (lower body) as players in doubt to play Saturday versus the Kraken. Should Skinner miss any length of time, Calvin Pickard will operate as the No. 1 netminder.

Shesterkin made 24 saves in a 4-3 loss to Toronto on Thursday.

It was a tough night for Shesterkin. The Leafs came in hot and have now won three straight. He and the Rangers have lost three in a row, and they are two points behind the Habs for the first wild card spot. Shesterkin has had an un-Shesterkin season. He's 23-25-4 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage. He'll rebound, but he also needs to be a difference maker to get the Blueshirts into the postseason.