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Eric Comrie G | SJ
Jets' Eric Comrie: Fourth straight loss
Comrie made 24 saves in a 6-5 loss to Toronto on Thursday.
His teammates roared out of the gate and rewarded him with a 4-1 lead. But Auston Matthews woke up and completed his hat trick, and the Leafs notched the win. Comrie last won Dec. 5, and is 0-4-0 with 19 goals allowed in that span. The Jets are 1-6-3 in their last 10 and 0-5-3 in their past eight. They sit last in the NHL. Comrie needs to stay on your bench while the Jets refuel. And that may take some time.
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Dennis Hildeby G | TB
Maple Leafs' Dennis Hildeby: Wins in relief after starter pulled
Hildeby made 17 saves in relief Thursday in a 6-5 win over the Jets.
He replaced starter Joseph Woll, who was pulled after allowing four goals and with the Leafs down 4-1. Hildeby got plenty of support in the comeback win, which snapped a personal 0-3-2 slump. Anthony Stolarz (upper body) resumed skating Wednesday, but there is no timetable for his return. The Leafs are 4-0-1 in their last five games, and they appear to be surging. Hildeby's short-term outlook may be on the cusp of improving.
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Joseph Woll G | PHI
Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll: Allowed four goals before pull
Woll allowed four goals on 17 shots Thursday in a game against Winnipeg before being pulled and replaced by Dennis Hildeby.
At that point early in the second, the Jets were up 4-1, and the Leafs needed a swift kick to get back in the game. It worked. Woll had won three straight games coming into Thursday, including a 4-0, 33-save shutout win over the Devils on Tuesday. This was simply a blip for the Leafs' starter. He'll be fine.
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Juuse Saros G | NSH
Predators' Juuse Saros: Expected to start Thursday
Saros is set to start on the road against Seattle on Thursday, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Saros has a 15-12-3 record, 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage in 30 appearances in 2025-26. He stopped 28 of 31 shots in a 4-3 win over Utah in his last start Monday. Nashville ranks 22nd in goals per game with 2.85.
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Marcus Hogberg G | NYI
Islanders' Marcus Hogberg: Needed in relief Thursday
Hogberg turned aside five of seven shots after replacing David Rittich early in the third period of Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Mammoth.
It was a rough afternoon for the Islanders as a whole, but Hogberg didn't look great on the first puck to get past him, a Dylan Guenther shot that trickled through the netminder's five-hole. It was Hogberg's first action since he was called up from AHL Bridgeport last weekend, but Rittich's shakier outing could open the door for his backup to get the start Saturday against the Maple Leafs. Through 14 AHL outings this season, Hogberg has a 3.08 GAA and .881 save percentage.
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Philipp Grubauer G | SEA
Kraken's Philipp Grubauer: Facing Nashville
Grubauer will start in goal at home versus the Predators on Thursday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.
Grubauer will start for the third time in five games, though this is the start of the third of four consecutive back-to-back sets for the Kraken. He's allowed just two goals on 74 shots over his last two games, both wins. The Predators have won five of their last six games with 20 goals scored in that span.
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David Rittich G | NJ
Islanders' David Rittich: Gets New Year's Day hook
Rittich gave up five goals on 14 shots before being replaced by Marcus Hogberg early in the third period of Thursday's 7-2 loss to the Mammoth.
The two teams were scoreless through the first period, but Utah got the rout started on a Dylan Guenther goal just 36 seconds into the second frame. Rittich eventually got the hook after a pair of power-play tallies by the visitors in the first six minutes of the third. The veteran netminder was making his sixth straight start with Ilya Sorokin (lower body) on the shelf, a stretch in which Rittich has gone 3-2-1 while allowing 13 goals on 158 shots (.918 save percentage). He might get a breather for the Islanders' next game Saturday at home against the Maple Leafs.
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Karel Vejmelka G | UTA
Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Cruises to win in return
Vejmelka turned aside 20 shots in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Islanders.
After a scoreless first period in which Vejmelka kicked out all 11 shots he faced, the Mammoth took control over the final 40 minutes and made their netminder's job a lot easier. Vejmelka missed the prior two games due to an upper-body injury, but that's been about the only thing to derail him of late -- he's won five of his last six starts, allowing 15 goals on 151 shots (.901 save percentage) over that stretch.
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Leevi Merilainen G | VAN
Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Nabs fifth win
Merilainen stopped 26 shots in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Capitals.
Washington struck twice in the first period to put Ottawa in an early hole, but Merilainen kept his focus and didn't get beaten again until late in the third. The 23-year-old netminder is handling No. 1 duties for the Senators while Linus Ullmark (personal) is away from the team, and on the season Merilainen is 5-7-0 in 12 outings with a 3.46 GAA and .872 save percentage.
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Logan Thompson G | WAS
Capitals' Logan Thompson: Stumbles against Sens
Thompson made 28 saves in Thursday's 4-3 loss to Ottawa.
The Capitals took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, but Thompson couldn't make it stick, allowing a pair of goals in both the second and third periods. The 28-year-old netminder has just one win in his last five outings, giving up 21 goals on 158 shots (.867 save percentage) over that stretch as his hot start to the season fades in the read view mirror.