NHL Player News

Annunen posted a 43-save shutout in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Ducks.

Annunen has provided decent goaltending lately. He's gone 3-3-0 over his last six games, but he's allowed just 10 goals on 195 shots over those contests. Annunen's shutout was his first of the season and third of his career. He's up to 9-11-2 with a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 26 appearances this season. Juuse Saros is likely to get the nod for Thursday's road game in Utah, and as long as the Predators sit on the playoff bubble, Saros will be the main man in the crease.

Dostal stopped 20 of 25 shots in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Predators.

The Ducks went unconventional with 10 forwards and eight defensemen in the lineup Tuesday. While Anaheim generated 43 shots, none beat Justus Annunen, leaving Dostal on the wrong side of a lopsided shutout loss. Dostal has given up 18 goals during a four-game losing streak that has dropped him to 29-19-3 with a 3.13 GAA and an .889 save percentage over 53 appearances this season. Those struggles have the Ducks limping to the finish line in the regular season. Their next game is Thursday versus the Sharks.

Sasson scored a goal in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Golden Knights.

Sasson has two goals and two assists over his last four contests. The 25-year-old's grip on a spot in the lineup was slipping in late March, but his recent play has restored his status as an everyday player. Sasson is now at 13 goals, 19 points, 59 shots on net, 36 blocked shots, 29 hits, 26 PIM and a minus-11 rating over 64 appearances on the year.

Tolopilo stopped 26 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Golden Knights.

Tolopilo took his fifth straight loss, but this was easily his best performance during the skid. However, he got beaten by Golden Knights' depth players, Brayden McNabb and Cole Smith, in the defeat. Tolopilo is down to 5-10-2 with a 3.63 GAA and an .883 save percentage over 19 appearances this season. Kevin Lankinen (upper body) is currently unavailable, and if he's shut down for the year, Tolopilo should see the majority of the remaining starts for the Canucks. Their next game is Thursday in Los Angeles, the first of three contests in four days.

Saad notched an assist and three shots on goal in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

Saad had been scratched for the previous 13 contests and had a six-game stretch without a point before exiting the lineup. The winger has had a poor year in the Golden Knights' bottom six, earning just nine points, 76 shots on net, 14 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 47 appearances. Saad is not guaranteed to have a regular spot in the lineup for the rest of the season -- he'll be competing with Reilly Smith for playing time.

McNabb scored a goal, blocked three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

McNabb has two goals and two assists over his last eight outings. The 35-year-old defenseman remains in a top-four role while logging shutdown minutes, so the offense is a nice surprise. He's earned five goals, 11 points, 76 shots on net, 106 hits, 134 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 59 appearances this season.

Smith scored the game-winning goal and added four hits in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

Smith has two goals over his last four contests. The 30-year-old winger's tally was the game-winner Tuesday, coming at 12:13 of the third period. He's up to eight goals, four assists, 67 shots on net, 166 hits, 40 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 59 appearances between the Golden Knights and the Predators. He'll likely continue to see fourth-line minutes for Vegas moving forward.

Hart stopped 10 of 11 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.

The Golden Knights' defense smothered the Canucks, leaving Hart with little work to do in his third straight win. He's stopped 60 of 65 shots in those games, and he appears to have quickly claimed the No. 1 job between the pipes. Hart is up to 8-3-3 with a 2.93 GAA and an .881 save percentage over 15 starts this season. The Golden Knights' next game is Thursday in Seattle.

Ekholm logged an assist in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Ekholm snapped a four-game slump with the helper. The 35-year-old hadn't gone that long without a point since January, providing steady but unremarkable offense from the blue line. He's logged 13 assists over 20 contests since the Olympic break. For the season, Ekholm has 40 points, 129 shots on net, 114 blocked shots, 65 hits, 30 PIM and a plus-29 rating over 78 appearances in a top-four role.

Frederic posted an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

The helper was Frederic's first point in three games since he returned from missing five contests due to an undisclosed injury. The 28-year-old forward continues to occupy a bottom-six role, where he'll provide toughness and the occasional contribution on offense. He has seven points, 70 shots on net, 178 hits, 58 PIM and a minus-16 rating over 70 appearances this season.