NHL Player News

Lankinen stopped 26 of 31 shots in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Red Wings.

Lankinen's losing streak is at seven games, and it's looking more likely that his season-opening win was just good fortune. He's allowed at least five goals in five of his eight appearances so far, and he's starting to lose time to Leevi Merilainen. Lankinen has a 6.18 GAA and an .807 save percentage, making him virtually unplayable in fantasy. The Canucks have another hard game ahead when they host the Wild on Sunday.

Bobrovsky made 21 saves in a 5-4 win over the Rangers on Thursday.

It was his 459th NHL win to tie Henrik Lundqvist for sixth all-time. Bobrovsky improved his record this season to 3-3-2 but saw his GAA and save percentage drop to 3.10 and .895, respectively. He'll likely get a chance to move into fifth on that list when the Leafs travel west to face the Oilers on Saturday.

Postava allowed a goal on eight shots in the third period of Thursday's 5-2 win over the Canucks.

Postava replaced John Gibson (upper body) at the start of the final frame. This was Postava's NHL debut, and it likely came faster than anyone expected after he was called up Wednesday with Daniil Tarasov (undisclosed) out of action. Gibson's injury isn't expected to be a long-term issue, but it's possible the Red Wings give Postava a friendly first start against the Flames on Saturday anyway, though nothing has been announced yet.

Bussi allowed five goals on 21 shots in Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss to the Oilers.

Bussi wasn't able to step up against a top offense, as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl factored in all of the Oilers' five goals in regulation. Bussi also faltered in the shootout to take his second defeat in a row. The 28-year-old netminder is slipping in the battle for playing time, as he's started just two of the Hurricanes' last six games. Bussi is 2-2-2 with a 3.27 GAA and an .865 save percentage in six games this season. Expect Pyotr Kochetkov to draw the start Saturday in St. Louis to wrap up this road trip.

Levi allowed five goals on 27 shots in Thursday's 6-5 shootout win over the Hurricanes.

Levi had some struggles against the defending champions, but he clutched up with a perfect performance in the shootout. He had gone five games without allowing more than five goals, though this slip-up can be forgiven considering the opponent he faced. Levi is now 6-1-0 with a 3.11 GAA and an .887 save percentage over seven outings this season. The Oilers are set to host the Maple Leafs on Saturday in what could be another high-scoring affair.

Wallstedt stopped 20 of 22 shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Flames.

Both of Calgary's goals came on the power play. This wasn't a terrible outing for Wallstedt, but given the opponent, expectations were higher. He dropped to 6-2-2 with a 2.19 GAA and a .915 save percentage through 10 starts this season. Wallstedt continues to handle a heavy workload ahead of Calvin Pickard while the Wild wait for Filip Gustavsson (hip) to get to full health. Up next is a back-to-back with stops in Seattle on Saturday and in Vancouver on Sunday. Expect Wallstedt and Pickard to split those games, with Minnesota the likely favorite in each one.

Ersson made 22 saves Thursday in a 6-2 loss to the Sharks.

Ersson is the go-to guy in Ottawa with Linus Ullmark (lower body) on the shelf. The netminder is still looking for his first win of the season. Ersson is 0-3-0 with a 4.59 GAA and .835 save percentage.

Cooley stopped 36 of 37 shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Wild.

Cooley has made the most of consecutive starts, holding the Wild and Hurricanes to a combined three goals on 73 shots. The 29-year-old netminder continues to impress, and it appears the Flames may opt to ride the hot hand at times. Cooley is more reliable against weaker opponents and will likely always have little room for error behind a low-scoring team. The Flames' next game is Saturday at home versus the Red Wings.

Askarov made 41 saves Thursday in a 6-2 win over Ottawa.

Askarov was the story of the game, and he earned the first star for his effort. The Sharks were under siege for most of Thursday's game, and Askorov is the only reason the score wasn't closer or even flipped the other way. He was 0-4-0 in his last four starts; his last win was Oct. 3. Askarov had allowed 15 goals on his four-game losing streak.

Annunen made 25 saves in a 6-0 loss to Boston on Thursday.

Annunen really didn't stand a chance Thursday. Even head coach Andrew Brunette called it the team's "worst effort of the year -- by far" after the game. Annunen delivered a .907 save percentage and 2.68 GAA in 23 starts (28 appearances; 10 wins) last season, so he does have talent. But the flashes of potential he flashed in Colorado are getting farther and farther away in the rearview mirror. There's little opportunity for the Finn to grow his game behind fellow Finn and star, Juuse Saros.