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Igor Shesterkin G | NYR
Rangers' Igor Shesterkin: Tagged with OT loss
Shesterkin allowed three goals on 24 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers.
The 30-year-old goaltender was making his return to the lineup after missing the Rangers' last 13 games due to a lower-body injury. Shesterkin has made 35 starts this season, and while his 17-12-5 record is far from ideal, he's been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Rangers team in 2025-26 with a 2.47 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
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Samuel Ersson G | OTT
Flyers' Samuel Ersson: Earns OT win Thursday
Ersson stopped 22 of 24 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers.
Ersson protected the Flyers' crease for the first time since Jan. 29, when he gave up five goals on 20 shots in a loss to the Bruins, but he did a good job this time out. It was Ersson's first win since Jan. 23, but he should revert to his regular backup role behind Dan Vladar when the Flyers take on the Bruins on Saturday.
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Samuel Girard D | PIT
Penguins' Samuel Girard: Dealing with lower-body issue
Girard missed practice Friday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury.
Girard appears to have been injured in his Penguins debut against the Devils on Thursday. In that outing, the 27-year-old defenseman made four blocks, which may have resulted in his injury. If Girard does miss any time, it will open up a spot in the lineup for Ryan Graves or Ilya Solovyov.
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Akira Schmid G | FLA
Golden Knights' Akira Schmid: Starting against Washington
Schmid will defend the road crease against Washington on Friday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.
Schmid competed for Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and he'll make his first start following the NHL layoff Friday. Across nine appearances for the Golden Knights since the start of the calendar year, he's gone 5-2-2 with a 2.59 GAA and .894 save percentage.
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Evgeni Malkin C | PIT
Penguins' Evgeni Malkin: Two helpers against Jersey
Malkin notched two assists, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.
The 39-year-old stepped up in the absence of Sidney Crosby (lower body), having a hand in tallies by Thomas Novak in the first period and Yegor Chinakhov in the third. Malkin has gotten onto the scoresheet in 11 of the last 13 games, racking up four goals and 15 points over that stretch, and he's now just eight points away from 1,400 for his career.
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Arturs Silovs G | PIT
Penguins' Arturs Silovs: Sharp in Thursday's win
Silovs turned aside 29 shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.
A Dougie Hamilton blast from the blue line deflected past Silovs off Paul Cotter early in the second period, but otherwise the 24-year-old netminder shut down the New Jersey offense. Silovs has just one regulation loss in his last seven starts dating back to Jan. 13, going 4-1-2 with a dazzling 1.98 GAA and .929 save percentage.
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Jacob Markstrom G | FLA
Devils' Jacob Markstrom: Flops against Penguins
Markstrom stopped 33 of 36 shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins' final goal getting scored into an empty net.
The game was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but goals 50 seconds apart by Connor Clifton and Yegor Chinakhov early in the frame ended the Devils' hopes. Markstrom has lost three of his last four starts dating back to Jan. 25, and since the beginning of January he's gone 6-5-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .884 save percentage.
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Noah Dobson D | MON
Canadiens' Noah Dobson: Revenge game goes to waste
Dobson scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.
Facing his former team for the first time, Dobson gave the Habs a 2-0 lead with tallies in the first and second periods, but the ice tilted in New York's favor the rest of the way. The 26-year-old blueliner extended his point streak to six games in the process, a stretch in which he's produced three goals and nine points, and on the season Dobson's delivered 12 goals and 40 points in 58 contests.
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Sam Montembeault G | MON
Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Sunk by Isles in OT
Montembeault made 22 saves in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.
Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had the netminder's number in the second period, wiring home two goals in a 55-second span, but it was Jean-Gabriel Pageau who ended the night by slipping the puck through Montembeault's five-hole on a clear break in OT. Montembeault has given up three or more goals in five of his last six starts dating back to Jan. 13, going 2-2-2 over that stretch with a 3.32 GAA and .886 save percentage.
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Simon Holmstrom RW | NYI
Islanders' Simon Holmstrom: Two helpers against Habs
Holmstrom picked up two assists in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over Montreal.
The 24-year-old winger had a hand in the Islanders' final two goals of the night, including Jean-Gabriel Pageau's OT winner. Holmstrom has stepped up his production in a middle-six role since the calendar flipped to 2026, and over his last 16 games he's delivered five goals and 13 points.