NHL Player News

DeSmith stopped 22 of 24 shots in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Ducks. The third goal was an empty-netter.

DeSmith did his part to keep the game close, but the Stars' offense didn't have much to give in the second half of a back-to-back. The 34-year-old has functioned well in the backup role this season, earning a 10-3-5 record with a 2.46 GAA and a .911 save percentage over 19 appearances. Expect Jake Oettinger to get the nod for Thursday's game in Utah.

Dostal stopped 24 of 25 shots in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Stars.

Dostal had gone 0-5-1 over his last eight appearances, giving up 29 goals in that span. The cure to what ailed him was a matchup with another struggling team in the Stars, who he held to a Roope Hintz goal with 2:12 left in the third period. Dostal is up to 14-12-2 with a 3.17 GAA and an .889 save percentage through 30 appearances this season. The 25-year-old netminder's rough patch will give fantasy managers pause, especially since the team in front of him was missing three key forwards for this contest. The Ducks' next two games are a home-and-home with the Kings, which begins Friday in Los Angeles.

Hildeby stopped 34 of 40 shots in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Mammoth.

Hildeby had a poor outing in the second half of a back-to-back. The 24-year-old netminder had given up just five goals on 82 shots over his previous three outings. He's been mostly steady in the backup role for much of this season, earning a 4-6-4 record with a 2.97 GAA and a .911 save percentage through 17 appearances (12 starts). Joseph Woll is likely to get the nod for Thursday's game in Vegas.

Greaves made 29 saves in a 5-3 win over Calgary on Tuesday.

The game was tied until the Jackets seized the lead with 1:34 left in the third period. Greaves has won two straight games, and he's 14-12-6 with a 2.72 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 31 games this season. The Jackets are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with a minus-16 goal differential. Their goalies have had to carry a heavy responsibility, but the arrival of new head coach Rick Bowness will almost instantly improve the team's structure and details. That will certainly benefit both Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins.

Wolf made 38 saves in a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. He allowed four goals.

The game was tight, and Boone Jenner snapped a 3-3 tie with just 1:34 left in the third period. Wolf's losing streak stands at five games (0-5-0) with 20 goals allowed in that span. He's carrying a massive workload, and he's Ryan Miller skinny -- at some point, the heavy load could create some serious wear and tear. Wolf is 14-19-2 with a 3.00 GAA and an .899 save percentage in 35 starts. He has two shutouts.

Vejmelka stopped 19 of 20 shots in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Calle Jarnkrok scored at 3:30 of the third period to spoil Vejmelka's shutout bid, but that was the only blemish on his performance. Vejmelka has won four outings in a row and six of his last seven. He's up to 21-11-2 with a 2.58 GAA and a .900 save percentage over 35 appearances this season. He's on a roll, and he'd get a look at a struggling Stars team should he get the nod Thursday at home.

Sorokin stopped 17 of 22 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Jets.

He allowed four of the five goals in the second period, wasting a three-goal comeback from the Islanders in the middle of the frame. Sorokin had not given up more than four goals in any outing this season, and no more than three in each of his last five games. The 30-year-old netminder is at a 14-11-2 record with a 2.57 GAA and a .911 save percentage over 27 starts. The Islanders' road trip continues with a tough matchup in Edmonton on Thursday. Sorokin did not face the Oilers on Oct. 16 in the Islanders' first matchup against them this season.

Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 27 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.

Hellebuyck was able to get away with less than his best this time. He gave up three of the goals in a span of 2:41 during the second period, but the Jets responded to that sequence with two goals of their own, which were enough to win. This was Hellebuyck's second win in a row, but he's allowed three-plus goals in eight of his last 10 outings. He's at an 11-12-4 record with a 2.75 GAA and an .899 save percentage through 27 starts this season. The Jets' next game is on the road in Minnesota on Thursday.

Lankinen made 38 saves in a 2-1 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday.

He wobbled in the first, allowing two goals in 15 seconds, but shook that off and was perfect from that point forward. Lankinen last won Dec. 29 in Seattle. He's in the starter's seat because Thatcher Demko (lower body) is on injured reserve. Lankinen is a tough activation due to the Canucks' 0-6-2 run over their last eight games. He has it in him, though -- those 25 wins last season were real.

Merilainen made 19 saves in a 2-1 win over Vancouver on Tuesday.

The young netminder hadn't won since Jan. 3, so the victory was a huge weight lifted off. Merilainen has played eight straight, but he could get time off this week. There is a good chance free agent signee James Reimer will play this week, and Linus Ullmark (personal) skated Tuesday. Merilainen's future remains bright, but he could be sent down to the AHL for a more structured development experience.