NHL Player News

Gustavsson turned aside 16 of 21 shots in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Blues, with St. Louis' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The Wild grabbed a 3-1 lead early in the second period, but the game was all Blues the rest of the way. Gustavsson is struggling badly to close out the regular season -- he's given up at least four goals in four straight starts and five of his last six, stumbling to a 2-4-0 record, 4.25 GAA and .836 save percentage over that latter stretch. By contrast, Jesper Wallstedt hasn't given up four goals in an outing since late February, posting a 1.97 GAA and .927 save percentage over his last nine appearances. Minnesota coach John Hynes could have a tough choice to make between the pipes when the playoffs begin.

Nedeljkovic turned aside 25 of 27 shots on net in Monday's 3-2 win over the Predators.

Nedeljkovic kept San Jose's net tidy across the first 55 minutes of regulation before Nashville's Luke Evangelista scored two late goals to give the Sharks a scare. Nedeljkovic's win Monday brought him up to a 17-14-4 record, a 2.92 GAA and an .894 save percentage across 39 outings this season. The 30-year-old netminder played his part to keep the Sharks in playoff contention until yesterday with a 4-1-0 record, a 2.41 GAA and a .905 save percentage over his last five appearances. If he appears in either of San Jose's last two games of the regular season, he's a solid spot start in most fantasy formats.

Vladar stopped 24 shots in regulation and overtime and all four shootout attempts he faced in Monday's 3-2 win over the Hurricanes.

Carolina was resting stars like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, having already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the visitors still grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Vladar kept his focus and shut the door the rest of the way, and in the process, he helped the Flyers lock up their first playoff berth since 2019-20. The 28-year-old has reasserted himself as Philly's No. 1 netminder down the stretch, going 5-1-0 over the last six games with a dazzling 1.81 GAA and .921 save percentage.

Bussi turned aside 21 shots in regulation and overtime and three of four shootout attempts in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Flyers.

Carolina grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period, only for Philly to strike back with two tallies in the second. Bussi and Dan Vladar then shut down all the offense the rest of the way, until Tyson Foerster finally got a shot past the Hurricanes netminder in the fourth round of the shootout. Bussi hasn't taken a regulation loss since March 17, going 5-0-1 over his last six starts, but his 2.79 GAA and .869 save percentage during that time haven't exactly locked him into the No. 1 job in the crease for the team's postseason run.

Tarasov stopped 24 shots in Monday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.

The Panthers staked Tarasov to an early 2-0 lead, and while he eventually let it slip away, Cole Reinhardt bailed him out with a game-winner late in the third period. The 27-year-old Tarasov has taken over No. 1 duties from Sergei Bobrovsky in the Florida crease as the team plays out the string on the season, starting four of the last five games and going 2-1-1 with a 2.94 GAA and .880 save percentage. However, Bobrovsky seems likely to get the nod for the season finale Wednesday, at home against the Red Wings, in what could be his final game as a Panther.

Quick made 14 saves in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers.

In what was his final NHL start after Quick announced that he'll be retiring after the season, the 40-year-old netminder nearly took the game to overtime, but Cole Reinhardt ripped a one-timer past him with less than two minutes left in regulation to break a 2-2 tie. Quick wraps up his 19th season with a 6-17-2 record, a 3.09 GAA and an .891 save percentage, and he's got a solid Hall of Fame case -- he's the winningest American-born goalie in NHL history with 410 wins, and his trophy case includes two Jennings Trophies and two Stanley Cup rings.

Akhtyamov made 26 saves on 32 shots in a 6-5 loss to Dallas on Monday.

Akhtyamov tried, but the team in front of him has played such bad hockey in the last few months that the young netminder had no chance. The guy was a sitting duck behind the Eastern Conference's worst and NHL's fourth-worst goal differentials (minus-44). Vancouver (minus-96), Chicago (minus-65) and Calgary (minus-47) are worse. Akhtyamov needs to be avoided.

DeSmith made 22 saves on 27 shots in a 6-5 win over Toronto on Monday.

The game was a see-saw affair, with the Maple Leafs up 3-0 heading into the first intermission and 5-2 early in the third after two goals in a 2:39 span early in the final frame. DeSmith ended a personal five-game losing streak (0-4-1). Dallas plays in Buffalo on Wednesday, and Jake Oettinger could get a rest heading into the postseason. That means DeSmith would be the first man off the ice at the game-day skate.

Talbot made 18 saves on 22 shots Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning.

Talbot is 12-9-6 with a 3.10 GAA and .886 save percentage in 25 starts (33 appearances) this season. He's 43rd overall in GAA and 45th in save percentage. Talbot's contract expires at the end of the season, and at 38, his options are limited. Detroit's Sebastian Cossa has had a very strong season in Grand Rapids -- he's 26-8-4 with a 2.28 GAA and .917 save percentage, so the Red Wings are far more likely to elevate him than re-sign Talbot. The 2025-26 season was touted as his possible last year prior to Opening Night.

Vasilevskiy made 27 saves on 30 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit on Monday.

The Big Cat deserves a rest Wednesday against the Rangers to prep for the postseason, but Jonas Johansson (undisclosed) sat out Monday's game. That meant the Lightning had to roll with their Emergency Back Up Goalie (EBUG) in the number two spot. Brandon Halverson, who is 24-11-6 with six shutouts, 2.39 GAA and .906 save percentage with AHL Syracuse this season could get the call-up for Wednesday. The win was Vasilevskiy's 39th of the season. It's the third time in his career that he's hit exactly 39 wins and fourth time that he's delivered at least that many wins.