NHL Player News

Wedgewood stopped all 22 shots he faced after replacing Alexandar Georgiev midway through the first period Tuesday, recording the win in a 5-4 victory over the Sabres.

The Avs dug a 4-0 hole for themselves before the 12-minute mark of the first frame, but switching goaltenders seemed to light a spark under the club and they rallied for a remarkable comeback win. It was Wedgewood's first appearance for Colorado since being traded west from Nashville, and the win was just his second of the season. The 32-year-old netminder has a mediocre 3.12 GAA and .895 save percentage in six outings, but Georgiev's recent struggles have likely opened the door for Wedgewood to at least move into a timeshare.

Georgiev gave up four goals on eight shots before being replaced by Scott Wedgewood midway through the first period of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Sabres.

Buffalo scored the first four goals of the night, and while a sleepwalking Colorado defense was more responsible for the deficit than Georgiev was, the 28-year-old netminder didn't come up with any big stops to help turn around the game's momentum. He's appeared in seven straight contests but has stumbled to a 3.51 GAA and .873 save percentage over that stretch, and Wedgewood's flawless relief effort Tuesday could signal a change in the Avs' goaltending scheme.

Jarry made 34 saves in a 5-4 overtime win over the Panthers on Tuesday.

Don't look now, but Jarry has won three straight games. He has now beaten the Canucks, Bruins and Panthers while allowing nine goals in that span. Overall, his 3.88 GAA and .884 save percentage are rather ugly, but if he can keep this solid play going, Jarry could return to fantasy relevance.

Skinner stopped 15 of 16 shots in Tuesday's 1-0 loss to the Golden Knights.

Skinner took the hard-luck loss here, as the Oilers couldn't get any of their 28 shots past Adin Hill. The 26-year-old Skinner has gone 3-2-0 with 11 goals allowed over his last five starts, finding more steady play between the pipes after a tumultuous first month of the campaign. The Edmonton native is 8-7-2 with a 2.97 GAA and an .889 save percentage through 17 starts this season. The Oilers will look to regroup at home Thursday versus another team that got shut out Tuesday, the Blue Jackets.

Hill posted a 28-save shutout in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Oilers.

Hill had to protect that 1-0 lead for nearly 50 minutes after Ivan Barbashev scored at 10:47 of the first period. The 28-year-old Hill did his part and came away with his second shutout of the season while earning his third win in his last four starts. He's gone seven outings without allowing more than three goals. The 28-year-old is 11-4-2 with a 2.67 GAA and a .900 save percentage over 17 starts. He's been splitting time pretty evenly with Ilya Samsonov lately, but Hill has been the better goalie over the last two-plus weeks, so he may be due to see a larger role. That said, Samsonov will likely start the second half of a back-to-back when the Golden Knights visit the Ducks on Wednesday.

Knight made 11 saves in a 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Knight sat back in the third and watched his teammates roar back from a 4-1 deficit with three goals in 4:33 to force OT. The winner came on a 2-on-1 just 1:31 into the extra frame. Knight will be the guy in the blue paint while Sergei Bobrovsky (personal) is away from the team because of the birth of his child. Unfortunately, he's 1-3-1, including a shutout, over his last five starts. He allowed 12 goals in the other four games. Knight may not be your best option right now, but don't count him out either -- the kid's elite talent will keep him in games and help you win.

Thompson made 29 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Sharks on Tuesday.

The Caps were strong in the first and then let their game slide in the second and third frames, leaving Thompson to fend off the better-than-expected Sharks. After the Caps tied the game in the second, the Sharks outshot them 18-6 for the remainder of the game, including 13-4 in the third alone. Thompson, who is 10-1-2 with a 2.52 GAA and a .913 save percentage, has been the strong side of a platoon with Charlie Lindgren (7-5-0, 2.95 GAA and .893 save percentage) and a revelation this season. Expect the two men to continue to split starts going forward, though -- the team will need both men sharp down the stretch to maintain its strong play.

Vladar posted a 16-save shutout in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Blue Jackets.

Vladar bounced back from his worst start of the season, a six-goal meltdown in Pittsburgh on Saturday, to earn his second shutout of the campaign. The 27-year-old netminder has done a decent job in a timeshare role this season. He's at 5-5-3 with a 2.65 GAA and a .904 save percentage through 13 appearances. Vladar's outing Tuesday marked just the second time he's started consecutive games all season, though he may get a third straight nod given the win. The Flames host the Blues on Thursday.

Blackwood made 27 saves Tuesday in s 2-1 win over Washington.

Blacky made some great saves in the first period and then locked the net down after Nic Dowd's goal at 13:02 of the second. Otherwise, he flat-out stifled the Caps offense Tuesday, especially as San Jose had to kill off three penalties. Blackwood has won two straight games, and he has a .909 save percentage in 19 appearances this season.

Merzlikins stopped 19 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Flames. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Merzlikins played well in a close game, but the Flames got two power-play goals from defensemen. This was enough to hand Merzlikins his first regulation loss in eight outings. The 30-year-old netminder is down to 8-6-2 with a 3.00 GAA and an .894 save percentage over 16 starts. He'll likely split the Blue Jackets' upcoming back-to-back with Daniil Tarasov. That pair of games features tricky matchups against the Oilers on Thursday and the Canucks on Friday.