NHL Player News

Kuemper stopped 17 of 22 shots in Thursday's 6-5 overtime win over the Senators.

The Kings led this game 5-1 at one point, but Kuemper gave the whole lead away in the third period. He was able to escape with a fourth straight win thanks to Quinton Byfield's game-winning goal in overtime. Kuemper has been mostly reliable this season, though he's had a couple of bad games mixed in as well. He's now 4-3-1 with a 3.66 GAA and an .878 save percentage over eight contests. The Kings' next game is at home versus the Sabres, who put up seven goals on the Ducks in a win Thursday, making Kuemper a bit of a risky option for that contest.

Husso stopped 24 of 31 shots in Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Sabres.

Husso wasn't sharp against the Sabres' best players over the first two periods. The Ducks tried to make up for it with a comeback effort in the third, but it came up short. This poor showing dropped Husso to 1-3-0 on the season, and he's now allowed 17 goals on 118 shots, an .856 save percentage, across five games. Husso is seeing backup duties behind Lukas Dostal, though neither of the Ducks' goalies have had a lot of success recently. Expect Dostal to get the nod for Sunday's home game versus the Senators.

Daws made nine saves in his Jets debut Thursday. He allowed one goal in a 6-4 loss to the Lightning.

The Peg is a tough place for Daws to try to take the next step in his game. The Jets are 0-5-2 in their past seven. At the same time, Stuart Skinner is inked through this season and next, leaving the crease wide open in 2028-29. Daws looked decent Thursday, so this could be a slow and steady process. Short term, he's a risk behind a team that can't find a way to win.

Ellis stopped 29 of 35 shots in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Ducks.

The Sabres led 7-3 at one point, but the Ducks made a push in the third period and nearly erased the deficit. Ellis was making his second start in a row, but the late fade didn't help his case for more playing time. He's posted a 3-1-0 record with a 3.11 GAA and an .880 save percentage over five outings this season. Expect to see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back between the pipes on Saturday in Los Angeles to wrap up this road trip.

Skinner allowed five goals on 21 shots before he was replaced by Nico Daws to begin the third period of Thursday's 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay.

Playing in the Peg is a tough slog this season. The loss was the Jets' seventh sraight. Skinner has not won in regulation since October 13, a span where he has gone 0-2-3 with 16 goals allowed. You need to keep him on your bench until this rough patch clears.

Merilainen stopped 21 of 24 shots in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Sharks.

Merilainen gave up all three goals in a span of 2:50 during the third period, turning a 2-0 lead into the 3-2 deficit that held to the end of the game. That's not a great look, but this was the first time in his last four outings that he kept a team under four goals. Merilainen is at a 2-4-1 record with a 3.33 GAA and an .898 save percentage across 10 appearances this season. The Canucks return home to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Considering Merilainen has played in a season-high three straight games, Kevin Lankinen may be due for a start soon.

Askarov stopped 23 of 25 shots in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Canucks.

It took a third-period comeback, but the Sharks were able to reward Askarov for a good performance. He's allowed just seven goals on 139 shots over his last four outings, so he's really unfortunate to be 2-2-0 in that span. Askarov has a 4-5-0 record, 3.01 GAA and .900 save percentage across nine outings on the year. He should continue to see most of the starts, though Alex Nedeljkovic has done a decent job over five appearances in the backup role. The Sharks' next game is a matinee at home versus the banged-up Senators on Saturday.

Vasilevskiy made 17 saves in a 6-4 win over the Jets on Thursday.

Vasilevskiy bent but didn't break in the third period when the Jets made a game of it, notching three unanswered goals. He was coming off his worst outing of the season last Friday against the Avs, so this game was a step in the right direction. Vasilevskiy is 3-1-0 in his last four games, but he has allowed nine snipes in his last two contests. He'll stabilize soon enough -- he's world class.

Saros surrendered four goals on 29 shots in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Capitals.

Saros had gone four games without losing in regulation (1-0-3), but that stretch ended Thursday. He's made 10 appearances this season, and he's now allowed three or more goals in six of them. Saros is at a 3-3-4 record with a 2.94 GAA and a .902 save percentage. He remains the Predators' top goalie, but his numbers are only marginally better than in previous seasons. Saros could be given a tough assignment if he starts Saturday at home versus the Lightning.

Lindgren stopped 24 of 27 shots in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Predators.

Lindgren earned his third straight win with this performance. He's given up at least three goals in each of his victories this season, but this was a good result on the second half of a back-to-back. He also has a hard-luck loss on his ledger. Lindgren should continue to see backup duties behind Logan Thompson, who returned from a brief absence Wednesday versus the Flyers. The Capitals' next game is a big test when they host the Wild on Sunday.