NHL Player News

Demko stopped 18 of 20 shots in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Hurricanes.

Demko played for the first time since Jan. 2 after missing three games in a row due to back spasms. Even though he looked competent between the pipes, he didn't get much support from the offense in this low-scoring matchup. Demko has gone winless in his last three appearances, going 0-1-1 with a 3.24 GAA and an .869 save percentage in that span. With the Canucks playing on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday at Toronto, it wouldn't be surprising if Demko is rested, with Kevin Lankinen guarding the Canucks' crease instead.

Georgiev gave up two goals on 26 shots in Friday's 2-1 loss to Utah.

Georgiev's losing streak reached six games Friday, but this was his best performance during the skid. The 28-year-old gave up a goal to Barrett Hayton with 1:32 left in the third period, which was the difference. Georgiev is now 9-13-0 with a 3.46 GAA and an .878 save percentage over 25 appearances this season. Yaroslav Askarov is set to start at home versus the Wild on Saturday, and Georgiev could find himself on the bench more often until he gets back into the win column.

Vejmelka stopped 18 of 19 shots in Friday's 2-1 win over the Sharks.

The Sharks didn't generate a ton of pressure, but the game was tied 1-1 late into the third period. Barrett Hayton put Utah ahead 2-1 with 1:32 left, but the team still had to kill a penalty to preserve the lead over the final 56 seconds. Vejmelka was a winner for just the second time in his last seven outings, improving to 10-11-3 with a 2.38 GAA and a .916 save percentage over 26 appearances. Connor Ingram is back from an upper-body injury and likely to start Saturday versus the Islanders, but it's unclear how Utah will divide the goaltending duties beyond that contest. Vejmelka played well enough in Ingram's absence to deserve at least a 50-50 split of the starts over the remainder of January.

Comrie stopped 21 of 23 shots in Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Kings.

Comrie handled the first half of a back-to-back for the first time this season, but he was unable to snap his losing streak. This was at least a good showing from the goalie, though the same can't be said for the Jets' offense, which was held in check by the Kings' firm defense. Comrie is now 3-6-1 with a 2.94 GAA and a .904 save percentage. Expect Connor Hellebuyck to start Saturday at home versus the Avalanche, and he may see steady playing time next week as well -- it's not unusual for Hellebuyck to start four or five games in a row, though Comrie has not had to wait more than 13 days between starts.

Kuemper stopped 18 of 19 shots in Friday's 2-1 overtime win over the Jets.

Kuemper picked up his fourth straight win, and it was a return to form for the Kings' often stingy defense. The Jets' goal was a Mark Scheifele power-play tally midway through the third period. Kuemper has allowed just five goals during his winning streak. He improved to 12-2-5 with a 2.16 GAA and a .919 save percentage over 20 starts this season. The Kings complete their back-to-back set in Calgary on Saturday, and it'll likely be David Rittich in goal against one of his former teams.

Mrazek allowed four goals on 27 shots in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Red Wings. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Mrazek quieted the Avalanche on Wednesday, but he couldn't construct a repeat performance against an ascendant Red Wings team. He's now allowed at least four goals in five of his last seven appearances, losing all five of those instances. Mrazek is down to 8-15-1 with a 3.17 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 25 games. Arvid Soderblom is likely to get the starting nod Saturday at home against the Oilers.

Dobes stopped 15 of 17 shots in Friday's 3-2 overtime win over the Capitals.

Dobes wasn't terribly busy but did his job in securing a third win in three starts. All three victories have come against stiff NHL competition, including a couple of recent Stanley Cup champs (Florida, Colorado). He's allowed just three goals on 74 shots since being called up from AHL Laval. Montreal is back in action Saturday when it hosts the Stars.

Talbot allowed three goals on 15 shots in Friday's 5-3 win over the Blackhawks.

Talbot didn't face a lot of pressure, though he wasn't all that sharp either. The 37-year-old netminder could be in line for a larger workload in the near future, at least as long as Alex Lyon (upper body) is sidelined. Talbot has won all three of his outings in January despite allowing nine goals on 63 shots, and he's at a 9-9-2 record with a 3.03 GAA and a .901 save percentage over 22 appearances this season. The Red Wings' next game is at home Sunday versus the Kraken.

Thompson entered for injured starter Charlie Lindgren (upper body) during the second period of Friday's 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal. He allowed three goals on 21 shots.

Lindgren suffered the injury early in the second and tried playing through it until leaving about two minutes later. Thompson, who had won five straight prior to Friday's loss, is scheduled to start Saturday in Nashville.

Lindgren (upper body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Canadiens.

Lindgren suffered the injury in a collision, and while he initially stayed in the game, he later exited in the second period. Lindgren stopped all nine shots he faced prior to his exit, but the Capitals couldn't maintain a 1-0 lead after he left the contest, so he won't end up with a decision on his record. If Lindgren ultimately misses time, Logan Thompson would likely serve as a full-time starter in his absence.