NHL Player News

Talbot allowed five goals on 21 shots before being replaced in goal by Alex Lyon in the third period of Friday's 5-2 loss to Toronto.

Talbot surrendered four goals at even strength and one with the man advantage. The veteran netminder has lost four consecutive outings, allowing at least three goals in three of those contests. The 37-year-old is struggling like the rest of his teammates -- Friday was the first game with Todd McLellan as head coach after Detroit parted ways with Derek Lalonde on Thursday. Perhaps that switch will spark a change in Motor City going forward. Talbot has a 6-9-2 record, .906 save percentage and 2.98 GAA through 19 appearances.

Woll turned aside 23 of 25 shots in Friday's 5-2 win over Detroit.

Woll rebounded between the pipes Friday after allowing nine goals over back-to-back losses before the holiday break. The 26-year-old was never in much danger of losing his third consecutive game -- Toronto went into the third period with a comfortable 5-0 lead. Woll had conceded at least three goals in four consecutive games, so he curbed that trend in the victory -- albeit against a Detroit club that ranks 30th in the NHL with 2.54 goals per game. Woll owns a 10-6-0 record, .909 save percentage and 2.57 GAA through 16 appearances.

Georgiev allowed five goals on 35 shots in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Golden Knights. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.

Georgiev kept the Sharks competitive through two periods, but it all fell apart in the third. Vegas scored twice while shorthanded in a span of 23 seconds to flip the script, and the Sharks couldn't recover, sending Georgiev to his third straight loss. In that span, he's given up 13 goals on 99 shots. He's now 9-10-0 with a 3.52 GAA and an .872 save percentage over 22 appearances between the Sharks and the Avalanche. Georgiev is a clear fade in any moderately tough matchup. Yaroslav Askarov will likely start Saturday's home game versus the Sharks.

Hill stopped 22 of 25 shots in Friday's 6-3 win over the Sharks.

The Sharks put up a good battle through two periods, but the Golden Knights took over in the third to lift Hill to his seventh win in his last eight starts. The 28-year-old netminder has allowed three or more goals just three times in that span. He's now 16-5-2 on the year while sporting a 2.63 GAA and a .904 save percentage through 23 starts. The Golden Knights return home for their next game Sunday versus the Flames.

Vejmelka stopped 33 of 35 shots in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Avalanche. The last two goals were empty-netters.

Artturi Lehkonen scored both goals Vejmelka surrendered, and the Avalanche winger would add the second empty-netter to complete his hat trick. Vejmelka has now lost consecutive decisions in regulation for the first time since mid-November. The 28-year-old still offers excellent play, though the goal support has ebbed and flowed at times this year. Overall, Vejmelka is 8-9-2 with a 2.32 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 21 appearances. Utah has a back-to-back up next with a favorable matchup in Seattle on Monday followed by a tougher game in Edmonton on Tuesday.

Blackwood stopped 34 of 35 shots in Friday's 4-1 win over Utah.

Blackwood picked up his fourth win in five starts since being acquired by Colorado from San Jose, and he also has a stellar 1.82 GAA and .940 save percentage in that span. The 28-year-old was able to limit the damage to a tipped-in Nick Schmaltz power-play goal in the third period. Blackwood improved to 10-10-3 with a 2.75 GAA and a .917 save percentage through 24 appearances this season. He signed a five-year contract at a $5.25 million cap hit earlier Friday, so he appears to be the goalie of the present and near future for the Avalanche. He should be an excellent fantasy netminder for the rest of the campaign.

Annunen gave up a goal on 13 shots in relief of Juuse Saros in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Blues, who also scored an empty-netter.

Annunen was fine on mop-up duty after Saros gave up five goals on 15 shots. The 24-year-old Annunen has allowed six goals on 102 shots over four appearances in December, showing his value in a backup role. It's tough to trust either of Nashville's goalies this season, but that's more of a criticism of the team in front of them. Annunen has an 8-5-0 record with a 2.83 GAA and an .894 save percentage over 15 appearances between the Predators and the Avalanche this year. He's likely to start one of the next two games, either Monday in Winnipeg or Tuesday in Minnesota.

Saros stopped 10 of 15 shots in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Blues.

Saros was pulled late in the second period after one of his worst performances of the season. He's now 2-5-1 over eight starts in December, and he's allowed at least three goals in six of those games. The 29-year-old is down to 8-15-6 with a 2.81 GAA and a .903 save percentage over 29 starts this season. His workload gives him value in fantasy, but he's been volatile in terms of performance. The Predators have a tough road back-to-back up next with stops in Winnipeg on Monday and Minnesota on Tuesday.

Hofer gave up four goals on 30 shots in Friday's 7-4 win over the Predators.

Hofer wasn't at his best -- this was the fourth time he's given up at least four games this season -- but he received plenty of support. He's getting results when he plays, going 4-0-1 over his appearances in December. For the season, the 24-year-old goalie is 8-3-1 with a 2.75 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 13 appearances in 2024-25. Hofer has started consecutive contests just once this season, so it's likely Jordan Binnington will get the nod versus the Sabres on Sunday.

Kochetkov conceded four goals on 23 shots in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Devils.

The trend of Kochetkov alternating wins and losses continued Friday. The Russian netminder hasn't won or lost back-to-back games since November. Carolina emphasizes puck possession and shot quantity, meaning Kochetkov rarely has to handle a heavy workload. That could prevent him from getting into a groove, as goaltenders may prefer to face more rubber. On the bright side, Kochetkov has yet to have a disastrous performance in 2024-25 -- he hasn't allowed more than four goals in a game through 22 appearances.