NHL Player News

Annunen stopped 20 of 21 shots in Saturday's 1-0 overtime loss to the Kings.

Annunen was dialed in, matching Darcy Kuemper throughout regulation. The Kings got the lone goal from Quinton Byfield at 3:20 of overtime, sending Annunen to an unfortunate defeat, his fourth in six outings despite his best performance in that span. For the season, the 25-year-old netminder is at 14-9-1 with a 3.04 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 26 games between the Predators and the Avalanche. The Predators return home to face the Blues on Tuesday, which is likely to be a start for Juuse Saros, but their back-to-back set next weekend should afford Annunen another chance to start soon.

Gustavsson stopped 22 of 26 shots in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blues. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Gustavsson gave up three goals before the Wild got on the board, and they didn't have enough to challenge the Blues. With a 3-3-1 record and 17 goals allowed over his last seven outings, Gustavsson's performance has been pretty pedestrian lately. He's now at a 25-15-4 record over 45 games, while also maintaining a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage. The Wild continue their seven-game homestand with a potentially challenging matchup against the Kings on Monday.

Hofer stopped 17 of 18 shots in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Wild.

Hofer took care of business in a game where the Wild were limited to just a Jake Middleton goal off a turnover in the second period. The 24-year-old Hofer picked up his first win since Feb. 27 versus the Capitals, though two of his three outings in March have been less than full games -- he was pulled from a start and made a brief relief appearance. The young netminder is now at 12-7-3 with a 2.78 GAA and a .901 save percentage over 26 appearances. Look for Jordan Binnington to get the start Sunday versus the Ducks.

Shesterkin posted a 21-save shutout in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets.

Shesterkin is now alone in second place in the NHL with five shutouts this season, two of which he's earned since the start of March. He's 3-1-2 with 11 goals allowed over six outings this month, which makes it one of his best stretches of the season despite lacking the wins to match the performance. Overall, Shesterkin has a 23-22-4 record with a 2.79 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 49 starts. The ratios are the worst of his career, and he's at risk of missing the 30-win mark for the first time since 2020-21, though he should see a heavy workload as long as the Rangers are battling for a playoff spot. He'll likely get Sunday off though, as the Rangers are set to complete their back-to-back set with a home game versus the Oilers, which will likely be a start for Jonathan Quick.

Tarasov stopped 17 of 20 shots in Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Rangers.

Tarasov's three-game winning streak came to a close as the Blue Jackets' offense couldn't solve Igor Shesterkin in this contest. The 25-year-old Tarasov has allowed just 10 goals over his last four outings, providing solid goaltending in the backup role, though he'll operate as the starter until Elvis Merzlikins (personal) returns to the team. Tarasov is down to 7-8-2 with a 3.51 GAA and an .882 save percentage over 17 appearances this season. The Blue Jackets have a back-to-back next week (Thursday versus the Panthers, Friday versus the Penguins), so Tarasov shouldn't have to wait too long for his next start.

Soderblom is expected to guard the road goal against Vancouver on Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Soderblom will try to rebound after dropping his past two games (0-0-2) while allowing seven goals on 67 shots (.896 save percentage). He's 8-15-7 with a 3.05 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 31 appearances in 2024-25. Vancouver is tied for 26th in goals per game with 2.71.

Hill made 34 saves in Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to Buffalo.

Hill faced nearly twice as many shots as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at the other end of the ice, and the game-tying goal that forced the overtime came with just 14 seconds left in the third. Hill deserved better Saturday -- the Sabres opportunistically capitalized on a few scrambles and giveaways while his mates struggled to sustain any offensive pressure. Hill is 5-1-1 with two shutouts in his last seven starts, and he's 24-11-5 with four shutouts, a 2.54 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 40 starts this season.

Luukkonen made 16 saves in a 4-3 shootout win over the Golden Knights on Saturday.

The ice was tilted toward Adin Hill at the other end for most of the night. Luukkonen was good when he had to be. This game was a nice rebound from the seven-goal debacle Tuesday in Detroit. UPL has two wins in his last three games, but he's been a tough play in his last eight (2-5-0). Luukkonen allowed at least five goals in three of those losses, and he was pulled in another game less than eight minutes in. This season has been largely forgettable for him, with a 3.19 GAA and an .888 save percentage in 49 starts (22-21-4).

Kuemper will patrol the home crease against Nashville on Saturday, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Kuemper has stopped 73 of 75 shots during his three-game winning streak, including a 21-save shutout victory over Washington on Thursday. He has a 21-8-7 record with three shutouts, a 2.23 GAA and a .916 save percentage across 37 appearances this season. Nashville ranks 31st in the league with 2.62 goals per game in 2024-25.

Annunen is set to start on the road against the Kings on Saturday, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.

Annunen stopped 17 of 19 shots en route to a 3-2 overtime victory over Chicago in his previous start last Saturday. He's 14-9-0 with a 3.15 GAA and an .888 save percentage in 25 appearances between Colorado and Nashville in 2024-25. Los Angeles ranks 18th in goals per game with 2.86.