NHL Player News

Shesterkin made 30 saves in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Predators.

It was a fairly embarrassing team-wide effort from the Rangers against the team with the fewest wins in the NHL, and Shesterkin was the only reason the final score was as close as it was. The 28-year-old goalie is a stunning 2-8-0 over his last 10 starts with a 3.35 GAA and .904 save percentage, and while there could be sweeping changes coming to New York's roster, Shesterkin is locked in as the No. 1 option in the crease.

Markstrom stopped 19 of 20 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Blues.

Markstrom has been on a roll of late and hasn't lost a game in regulation since Nov. 27, when he suffered a 3-0 defeat against St. Louis. Since then, the 34-year-old Swedish netminder has gone 6-0-1 with a 1.70 GAA and a .922 save percentage across seven appearances. He's been particularly outstanding over his last three games, stopping 48 of 51 shots for a 1.00 GAA and a .941 save percentage.

Kochetkov turned aside all 32 shots he faced in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Islanders.

It was the first shutout of the season for the 25-year-old netminder and the ninth of his NHL career. Kochetkov has started six of Carolina's seven games to begin December, going 3-3-0 with a 2.58 GAA and .899 save percentage, and he'll be firmly entrenched at the top of the depth chart until Frederik Andersen is ready to return from knee surgery.

Hogberg stopped all six shots he faced after replacing Ilya Sorokin to begin the third period of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes.

It's the second time in seven games since his promotion at the beginning of the month that Hogberg has been called upon to spell Sorokin, and the backup goalie has turned aside all 17 shots sent his way in those appearances. The Islanders are off until Saturday when they head to Toronto, but Semyon Varlamov (lower body) isn't expected to rejoin the team until the following week. Sorokin will likely get the nod for that contest, but if coach Patrick Roy decided to give him an extended rest, Hogberg would be in line for his first start of the season.

Sorokin allowed four goals on 23 shots before being replaced by Marcus Hogberg to begin the third period of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes.

Sorokin got hung out to dry by his defense, and the hook from coach Patrick Roy was more about trying to light a fire under the Islanders than it was about the netminder's play. Even so, Sorokin has given up four goals in three straight starts, and he's 3-4-1 through eight December outings with a 3.40 GAA and .879 save percentage. The Isles are off until Saturday, giving Sorokin some time to regain his focus.

Georgiev stopped 29 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Jets.

The Sharks took a 3-2 lead early in the third period, but Georgiev couldn't make it last. He's now 1-1-0 with seven goals allowed on 53 shots over two starts with the Sharks since he was traded from the Avalanche. He hasn't experienced the full brunt of a defensive meltdown yet, but the results could get ugly if the team in front of him starts leaking shots at a high volume. Georgiev is now 9-8-0 with a 3.40 GAA and an .873 save percentage over 20 outings this season. He could be in line to start against his former team Thursday when the Sharks host the Avalanche -- Vitek Vanecek (head) was hurt on the bench Tuesday and may not be available for the next game.

Hellebuyck stopped 32 of 35 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Sharks.

The Sharks showed some resilience against the Jets, but it wasn't enough. Hellebuyck earned his fifth win in six starts despite allowing three goals, and he's the first in the NHL to the 20-win mark this season. The 31-year-old improved to 20-5-1 with a 2.15 GAA and a .926 save percentage through 26 starts. Eric Comrie figures to get the start Wednesday in Anaheim, but Hellebuyck should be back between the pipes for a huge Central Division showdown at home versus the Wild on Saturday.

Ullmark posted a 30-save shutout in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Kraken.

This was Ullmark's sixth straight win, and two of those victories have been shutouts. He has allowed just five goals on 178 shots during the streak, making him the hottest goalie in the NHL right now. Ullmark is 11-7-2 with a career-high three shutouts, a 2.39 GAA and a .915 save percentage over 21 appearances. The Senators' road trip continues Thursday in Calgary, which would be a favorable matchup if Ullmark gets the nod again.

Daccord stopped 24 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Senators.

The Kraken generated some pressure but didn't get enough good chances to give Daccord any help. The 28-year-old has gone 2-2-1 with 12 goals allowed over his last five appearances, so he remains a fairly steady performer when he plays, though he has lost time to Philipp Grubauer recently. Daccord is 12-7-2 with a 2.46 GAA and a .915 save percentage through 21 appearances this season. The Kraken begin a road trip in Chicago on Thursday.

Kuemper made 28 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins.

Kuemper had allowed one goal in each of his first three starts back from missing seven games with a lower-body injury before Tuesday's contest. He stood on his head in the third period to force overtime. The Kings have been a revelation in the Pacific division, and they're just three points back from the Golden Knights. Kuemper is a key driver of the Kings' success.