NHL Player News

Samsonov turned aside 32 shots in regulation and overtime and all three shootout attempts he faced in Monday's 5-4 win over the Flyers.

Philly grabbed a 3-0 lead just 28 seconds into the second period as a Vegas blue line missing Alex Pietrangelo (upper body) and Zach Whitecloud (upper body) struggled early, but Samsonov kept his focus, which gave his team a chance to mount a comeback. The 27-year-old goalie missed the first couple weeks of November with an undisclosed injury, but he's moved back into a timeshare with Adin Hill since returning to the crease. On the season, Samsonov sports a 5-2-1 record in eight starts with a 3.08 GAA and a .904 save percentage.

Markstrom made 19 saves in Monday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Nashville grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the first period, but New Jersey quickly got on the front foot, and a natural hat trick by Nico Hischier in the second frame gave Markstrom more than enough cushion. The 34-year-old netminder has won five of his last six starts, and on the season he sports a 10-5-1 record with a 2.51 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

Wedgewood stopped all 15 shots he faced after replacing Juuse Saros to begin the third period of Monday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.

New Jersey out-shot Nashville 45-21 on the night, and the final result would have been even more lopsided had it not been for the two Predators goalies. Wedgewood hasn't gotten a start since Nov. 14, and through five appearances on the season, he sports a shaky 3.69 GAA and .878 save percentage. Monday's strong effort in relief could earn him more playing time, and Wedgewood should start one of this weekend's contests, either Friday at home against Tampa Bay or Saturday in Minnesota.

Saros gave up four goals on 30 shots before being replaced by Scott Wedgewood to begin the third period of Monday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.

He didn't play poorly, but a natural hat trick by Nico Hischier in the second period brought Saros' night to an early end. It was the first time in November that the 29-year-old netminder had allowed more than three goals, and on the month Saros has a 2.18 GAA and a .930 save percentage despite a 4-5-1 record.

Rittich stopped 14 of 21 shots in Monday's 7-2 loss to the Sharks.

Rittich was fine through two periods, but the wheels fell off in the third, as the Sharks scored three times in a span of 3:40 early in frame and tacked on two more goals before the end of the game. Prior to Monday, Rittich had given up a total of seven goals over his previous six appearances, so this was an ugly performance by all metrics. He dropped to 7-6-0 with a 2.65 GAA and an .883 save percentage through 13 outings this season. Rittich is still the No. 1 for the Kings until Darcy Kuemper (undisclosed) is cleared to return from injured reserve.

Askarov stopped 22 of 24 shots in Monday's 7-2 win over the Kings.

Askarov received plenty of goal support in his first home game as a Shark. He also had an assist on Nico Sturm's opening tally to help his own cause in his first win of the season. Askarov has allowed four goals on 55 shots while going 1-0-1 through two games this season. The Sharks are currently carrying three goalies and no spare defensemen, so Askarov could end up getting sent to AHL San Jose once Marc-Edouard Vlasic (back) is ready to make his season debut or the team decides to recall Jack Thompson for depth purposes.

Dostal stopped 25 of 28 shots in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Kraken.

Dostal was playing a strong game until early in the third period. He allowed goals to Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Montour that came just 24 seconds apart, and that lapse led to the Kraken's victory. This was Dostal's fifth regulation loss in his last six outings, and he's allowed at least three goals in all five defeats in that span. The 24-year-old is now at a 5-7-2 record with a 2.72 GAA and a .922 save percentage over 14 starts. He's already been ceding playing time to John Gibson, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Gibson start Wednesday's rematch in Seattle.

Daccord stopped 21 of 23 shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

Daccord saw a five-game win streak snapped versus the Kings on Saturday. He was trending in the wrong direction through two periods Monday, but the Kraken scored twice early in the third, and Daccord was able to make that lead hold. The 28-year-old is one of six goalies to reach 10 wins so far this season, clocking in at 10-4-1 through 15 starts -- only Pyotr Kochetkov (concussion) has reached the mark in fewer games. Daccord's also the only 10-win goalie on a team currently sitting outside of a playoff position. He's been excellent with a 2.28 GAA and a .922 save percentage. The Kraken have a rematch with the Ducks in Seattle on Wednesday, followed by a home-and-home set with the Sharks on Friday and Saturday. Both Daccord and Philipp Grubauer are strong options for whichever games they start this week.

Gustavsson stopped 28 of 31 shots in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Jets. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Gustavsson versus Connor Hellebuyck is about as good as it gets for a goaltending matchup in 2024-25, but the Wild's No. 1 failed to get the better of the league-leading Jets for the second time this season. This was the second start in a row Gustavsson's allowed three goals -- he's given up at least that many in just five of his 16 starts this season. The Swede slipped to 9-4-3 with a 2.18 GAA and a .923 save percentage over 16 starts. The Wild's next game is Wednesday in Buffalo before a home back-to-back versus the Blackhawks on Friday and the Predators on Saturday. Expect Gustavsson to tend the twine in two of the next three contests.

Hellebuyck stopped 43 of 44 shots in Monday's 4-1 win over the Wild.

The Wild had plenty of pressure over the first two periods, but Hellebuyck limited the damage to Jacob Middleton's first-period marker. The Jets' defense clamped down in the third, and Hellebuyck had no trouble protecting a 2-1 lead before goals by Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry secured the victory. Hellebuyck has won eight of his last nine starts, allowing one goal or fewer in five of those games. He's now at 15-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and a .929 save percentage over 17 starts. He's been the best goalie in the league this season, and he just outplayed one of the few that has been anywhere close to him in Filip Gustavsson. The Jets' road trip continues Wednesday in Los Angeles.