NHL Player News

Bobrovsky stopped 28 of 30 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Ducks.

Bobrovsky ended a three-game slide with this win, and it was also the first time he's allowed fewer than four goals since Jan. 8. The 36-year-old netminder has had some struggles this season, though the Panthers' strong offense has helped to keep his record positive. He's at 19-11-2 with a 2.83 GAA and an .897 save percentage over 32 appearances. Spencer Knight will likely get the start Wednesday against the Kings, and then Bobrovsky and Knight figure to split the following two games (Saturday in San Jose, Sunday in Vegas) as the Panthers finish the road trip with another back-to-back.

Demko allowed three goals on 27 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Sabres.

Demko has now lost three of his last four starts, giving up a total of 12 goals in that span. He allowed two tallies in the third period of Tuesday's game to squander a 2-1 lead. The 29-year-old is down to 3-4-3 with a 3.23 GAA and an .873 save percentage over 11 appearances. There hasn't been much to like about Demko's play so far, but he'll continue to start as long as Kevin Lankinen (illness) is unavailable. The Canucks' next game is Thursday in Edmonton.

Luukkonen stopped 31 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks.

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, but the Sabres' new-look top line pulled them ahead in the third. Luukkonen was able to make that lead last and earned his fourth win in his last six outings despite allowing 16 goals over that span. The 25-year-old is now 15-14-4 with a 2.99 GAA and an .897 save percentage over 34 starts this season. The Sabres' road trip continues in Calgary on Thursday.

Skinner stopped 11 of 14 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Capitals.

Skinner allowed three goals for the third straight game, but this was the lowest number of shots he's faced in a start where he wasn't pulled this season. The Oilers needed him to make a save or two, and he wasn't up to the task, losing for the third time in five outings. He's now 18-11-3 with a 2.71 GAA and an .899 save percentage through 32 starts. He's yet to start more than three games in a row all year, so it wouldn't be surprising for Calvin Pickard to get the nod against the Canucks on Thursday, especially since Skinner lost to them by a 3-2 score Saturday.

Thompson stopped 30 of 32 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Oilers.

Thompson picked up his fifth straight win despite the Oilers getting the better of the Capitals on the shot counter by a 32-14 margin. He also earned an assist on the game-winning goal, and the 27-year-old goalie was able to stay calm after Corey Perry scored the Oilers' second goal following a fan tossing nachos onto the ice. During Thompson's winning streak, he's allowed a total of five goals on 127 shots, and he's gone 10-0-1 over his last 11 outings. Overall, he's now at a 22-2-3 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .925 save percentage through 27 appearances. Thompson has started consecutive games even with Charlie Lindgren back from an upper-body injury, so it's unclear if the Capitals will go back to alternating starts or let Thompson get a bit of a run as the starter.

Oettinger stopped 17 of 19 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes.

Oettinger has lost two of his last five starts despite allowing a total of seven goals in that span. The 26-year-old has had narrow margins for error lately amid a fairly quiet stretch for the Stars' offense. Oettinger dropped to 23-11-1 with a 2.26 GAA and a .914 save percentage through 35 appearances this season. The Stars have a back-to-back up next -- they'll host the Golden Knights on Friday before visiting the Blues on Saturday. Expect Oettinger and Casey DeSmith to split those games.

Kochetkov allowed one goal on 23 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Stars.

Kochetkov played a strong game, earning his third win in his last four outings. The 25-year-old netminder gave up the lone tally to Thomas Harley in the third period, but the Hurricanes regained the lead just 24 seconds later on a deflected goal. Kochetkov improved to 18-9-2 with a 2.47 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 30 appearances. If the Hurricanes continue to alternate goalie starts, Frederik Andersen would play Thursday at home versus the Blue Jackets and Kochetkov's next outing would be Saturday on the road against the Islanders.

Skinner will protect the home goal against the Capitals on Tuesday, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports.

Skinner is set to start a third straight game for the first time since Dec. 14-19. He's allowed six goals while going 1-1-0 over his last two outings. He'll have a particularly tough task Tuesday, as the Capitals are in first place in the NHL while the Oilers will be without captain Connor McDavid (suspension).

Lankinen is dealing with an illness and unlikely to suit up Tuesday versus the Sabres, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports.

Arturs Silovs was called up under emergency conditions Tuesday, and Lankinen's illness is the reason why. Assuming Lankinen doesn't suit up, his next chance to play is Thursday in Edmonton. Thatcher Demko was already confirmed to start Tuesday by head coach Rick Tocchet earlier in the day.

Silovs was recalled under emergency conditions Tuesday.

Silovs' recall suggests something is wrong with either Thatcher Demko or Kevin Lankinen that could affect their availability for Tuesday's game against the Sabres. Expect Silovs to serve as the backup for the game, but it's unlikely his current NHL stay will be a long one.