NHL Player News

Pickard made 20 saves Saturday in 3-2 overtime win over San Jose.

Pickard is riding a personal four-game win streak, and he's 8-3-0 with a 2.37 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 11 starts. He and Stuart Skinner have combined for a 10-2-0 record over the Oilers' last 12 games. Skinner will likely start against Ottawa on Sunday, and then the two men will probably split a back-to-back Dec. 28 (Kings) and Dec. 29 (Ducks). Pickard will get the first game if the coach's pattern over the last three back-to-backs holds true.

Montembeault stopped 20 of 21 shots in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Red Wings.

Chalk up three consecutive wins for Montembeault, who dispatched the two teams beneath Montreal in the Atlantic Division during the streak. On Tuesday, he shut down Buffalo and then won a back-to-back set over Detroit this weekend, while posting a 1.67 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. It was the ninth consecutive start for Montembeault. He's struggled against the better teams in the league, but the 28-year-old netminder has generally bested squads in the lower half of the standings. He will likely get a chance to extend the win streak in Monday's road tilt against Columbus.

Askarov made 39 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to Edmonton on Saturday.

It was a personal best for the 22-year-old Askarov in terms of saves in the NHL. He was sharp for sure, but the duo of Connor McDavid (three assists) and Leon Draisaitl (GWG) were a lot to handle for the Sharks' goalie of the future. Askarov is in town for only a couple of weeks until Vitek Vanecek (upper body) gets back from injury. The young netminder showed well Saturday and could be a solid option in daily formats given his skill.

Kuemper made 23 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Predators on Saturday.

The Kings were flat for the first two-and-a-half periods, and Kuemper kept things close until his teammates woke up. However, he got caught out of the crease in OT, and Nick Blankenburg had an easy open net to get the winner. Kuemper and David Rittich have started 16 games apiece, but Kuemper has played in six of the last seven contests. Kuemper's .911 save percentage is also significantly better than Rittich's .890, but they have similar GAAs, with Kuemper sitting at 2.40 and Rittich at 2.49. Los Angeles is a strong team, and both goalies will perform well when given the chance to play, but Kuemper should see the bulk of the starts now that he's healthy.

Annunen made 22 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over Los Angeles on Saturday.

Annunen held a shutout until the 9:24 mark of the third when Quinton Byfield rifled a snap shot past him from the slot. A few minutes later, Alex Laferriere stuffed in a rebound with the extra attacker on the ice during a delayed penalty. Annunen has been excellent in a backup role in Nashville. He is 2-1-0 with a 1.67 GAA and a .944 save percentage in three games. Annunen has plenty of upside as a spot starter but still could be used sparingly behind Juuse Saros.

Hellebuyck is set to start at home against the Wild on Saturday, per the NHL media site.

Hellebuyck has won five of his past six starts while stopping 154 of 167 shots (.922 save percentage). For others, that would be a hot streak, but for Hellebuyck, it's business as usual. He has a 20-5-1 record, 2.15 GAA and .926 save percentage across 26 appearances in 2024-25. Minnesota is tied for 17th in goals per game with 3.00.

Lyon will guard the road net against Montreal on Saturday.

Lyon will get the second half of Detroit's back-to-back after Cam Talbot played in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Canadiens. The 32-year-old Lyon has a 5-4-0 record with one shutout, a 2.88 GAA and a .903 save percentage through 10 appearances this season. Montreal sits 22nd in the league with 2.84 goals per game in 2024-25.

Woll is set to start at home against the Islanders on Saturday, per David Alter of The Hockey News.

Woll has a 9-4-0 record, 2.30 GAA and .918 save percentage in 13 appearances in 2024-25. He stopped 36 of 39 shots en route to a 5-3 victory over Dallas in his last start Wednesday. The Islanders rank 28th in goals per game with 2.55.

Although it appeared Luukkonen would start in Saturday's road game against Boston, James Reimer will get the nod instead, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.

Luukkonen allowed four goals on 13 shots across 24:27 of ice time in Buffalo's 6-3 loss to Toronto on Friday. Reimer also played in that game, logging 33:26 while stopping 14 of 15 shots. Luukkonen has an 8-11-3 record, 3.12 GAA and .892 save percentage in 23 outings in 2024-25.

Reimer will defend the road net against Boston on Saturday, according to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Despite a previous report, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won't start again, and Reimer will play in the second half of Buffalo's back-to-back following Friday's 6-3 loss to Toronto. Reimer has a 1-3-1 record with a 3.21 GAA and an .888 save percentage in seven appearances between the Ducks and Sabres this season. Boston sits 27th in the league with 2.59 goals per game in 2024-25.