NHL Player News

DeSmith allowed three goals on 15 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Predators in Game 2. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) was out of action, so it was DeSmith's turn in the crease for the Canucks. His first outing of the postseason was poor -- the Predators were opportunistic with their chances early on and successfully bunkered down in the third period to hold the lead. DeSmith was mediocre in the regular season with a 12-9-6 record, a 2.89 GAA and an .895 save percentage over 29 appearances. If Demko remains sidelined, DeSmith will likely need more help from the team in front of him in order to find success as the series shifts to Nashville for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.

Saros allowed a goal on 18 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Canucks in Game 2.

Saros was solid when called upon, but the Predators were also credited with 30 blocked shots to make his job easier. He's allowed four goals on 38 shots over two playoff contests so far. Saros will likely continue to see most, if not all, of the starts during the postseason, and he's likely to get more goal support while Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) is out of action for the Canucks. Game 3 is set for Friday in Nashville.

Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 31 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.

Hellebuyck's six-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday, resulting in the Jets' first-round playoff series being tied at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 ahead in Denver on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The 30-year-old has allowed 10 goals on 77 shots so far against the Avalanche, so he'll need to tighten things up on the road to keep the Jets competitive.

Georgiev allowed two goals on 30 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Jets in Game 2.

Georgiev turned in a good effort just one game after getting torched for seven goals on 23 shots. It didn't start well, as the Jets led 2-1 at the halfway mark, but the Avalanche had the last four goals of the contest. The 28-year-old's recent performance has been far from strong or consistent, so it'll be important for him to build on this outing as the series shifts to Denver on Friday for Game 3.

Saros will guard the road goal versus the Canucks on Tuesday in Game 2, Zach Gilchriest of the Predators' official site reports.

Saros will look to overcome his Game 1 loss, in which he allowed three goals on 20 shots, including a pair of tallies in a 12-second span in the third period. The 29-year-old has lost all three of his games versus the Canucks this season, allowing a total of 11 goals. His Predators teammates may find more room for offense Tuesday with Thatcher Demko (undisclosed) out and Casey DeSmith slated to start for Vancouver.

Johansson (lower body) won't dress for Tuesday's Game 2 versus the Panthers, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Johansson could still be available at some point in the postseason, but it's unclear when that may be. It's safe to assume he'll be out indefinitely, as the Lightning have not provided a specific update on his status.

Vasilevskiy will guard the road net in Game 2 versus Florida on Tuesday, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

Vasilevskiy stopped 25 of 27 shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 1. He has lost five of his past six playoff outings, allowing 22 goals on 180 shots for an .878 save percentage over that span.

Lindgren will start on the road in Game 2 versus the Rangers on Tuesday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

Lindgren stopped 27 of 31 shots in a 4-1 loss in Game 1. The 30-year-old is firmly established as the Capitals' No. 1 goalie, but he faces an uphill battle versus the Presidents' Trophy winners. Lindgren has allowed eight goals across four appearances versus the Rangers in 2023-24.

Raanta was promoted from AHL Chicago on Tuesday, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports.

The Hurricanes already have three goalies on the roster, so Raanta's chances of playing in the postseason are incredibly low. Raanta struggled in 24 games with the Hurricanes this campaign, and he was a touch worse with a 2-2-4 record, a 3.54 GAA and an .873 save percentage in eight contests with the Wolves after he was sent down.

Shesterkin is expected to guard the crease for Tuesday's Game 2 home matchup with Washington, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today reports.

Shesterkin is riding a three-game winning streak during which he has posted a 0.98 GAA, .963 save percentage and one shutout. While Jonathan Quick has been a capable backup this year, securing 18 wins in 27 appearances, the 28-year-old Shesterkin should remain firmly cemented in the starting role throughout the postseason.