NHL Player News

Oettinger will be between the pipes for Friday's home game against the Rangers, Brien Rea of FanDuel Sports Network Southwest reports.

Oettinger will jump right back into the crease after getting the hook against the Leafs on Wednesday. The matchup Friday will be the netminder's eighth straight appearance, and he's posted a 3-4-0 record and 2.57 GAA in his last seven outings. While Oettinger hasn't been his usual dominant self, he clearly is going to be given time to work through any issues, leaving Casey DeSmith to feature primarily during back-to-backs.

Kolosov turned aside 20 of 26 shots in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Kings, with Los Angeles' seventh goal getting scored into an empty net.

The game was tied 3-3 heading into the second intermission, but Kolosov couldn't stem the tide in the third. The 22-year-old netminder has given up at least four goals in three of four December outings, stumbling to a 4.07 GAA and .854 save percentage, but Samuel Ersson (3.86 GAA, .828 save percentage) hasn't fared any better this month as the Flyers' defense seems to be collapsing.

Kuemper made 23 saves in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Flyers.

The Kings actually fell behind 3-2 late in the second period, but Kuemper slammed the door shut down the stretch as his team's offense took control. The veteran goalie has been locked in since returning from an undisclosed injury that sidelined him for nearly a month, going 4-0-1 over five December starts with a 1.79 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Bobrovsky will defend the home crease against St. Louis on Friday.

Bobrovsky is 6-1-0 in his last seven starts with a 2.26 GAA and a .910 save percentage. The 36-year-old netminder is 15-6-1 with a 2.89 GAA and an .892 save percentage this season. He will face the Blues, who have scored only 86 times in 34 contests this season.

Merzlikins made 40 saves in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Devils.

The 40 stops were a season high for the 30-year-old netminder, and he nearly notched his second shutout of the season, as Luke Hughes didn't get New Jersey on the board until there were less than three minutes left in the third period. Merzlikins remains tough to rely on -- he'd allowed four or more goals in three of his prior four outings -- but he still shows occasional flashes of his early-career form. On the season, Merzlikins is 10-9-2 with a 3.05 GAA and .891 save percentage as Columbus' No. 1 goalie.

Hildeby was reassigned to AHL Toronto on Friday.

Hildeby has made three appearances for the Leafs this season and is sporting a 2-1-0 record, 3.69 GAA and .875 save percentage. With Toronto entering a back-to-back, it seems the team was more comfortable utilizing Matt Murray, who was called up in a corresponding move, versus the Sabres or Islanders on Friday or Saturday, respectively, than the 23-year-old Hildeby.

Allen stopped 16 of 19 shots in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Blue Jackets, with Columbus' last goal coming into an empty net.

New Jersey outshot the home squad 42-20 on the night, but the Devils' offense couldn't solve Elvis Merzlikins until late in the third period, at which point they were already down 3-0. Allen has lost three straight starts, giving up 12 goals on only 74 shots (.838 save percentage) during that span, and his last win came back on Nov. 23. The 34-year-old is on the last year of his current contract, and if he continues to struggle the Devils may look to the trade market for a new backup to Jacob Markstrom.

Hofer stopped all seven shots he faced in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Lightning after replacing Jordan Binnington.

Hofer has looked the better of the Blues' two netminders of late, going 4-0-0 with a 1.80 GAA and .929 save percentage in his last five outings. With a back-to-back on the schedule, Hofer will likely be right back at it versus the Panthers on the road Friday and could even steal away some additional starts with another strong outing.

Skinner turned aside 24 of 26 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins.

Skinner allowed a pair of even-strength goals in the first period, but he shut the door the rest of the way as the Oilers completed the comeback in overtime. It was an encouraging bounce-back performance for the 26-year-old, as he allowed six goals on 28 shots in his last start against the Panthers on Monday. The Alberta native is up to a 12-8-2 record, .893 save percentage and 2.93 GAA through 22 appearances. Skinner and the Oilers have a back-to-back set against the Sharks and Senators on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Calvin Pickard will likely draw one of those starts.

Swayman made 23 saves on 26 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers.

The Bruins had a 2-1 lead late in the third period, but Connor McDavid tied the score with 2:21 remaining. Mattias Ekholm scored in overtime to complete the comeback for Edmonton. Swayman has been relatively solid in December, posting a 5-1-1 record while turning aside 157 of 180 shots on net. The 26-year-old allowed eight goals in a loss to Winnipeg on Dec. 10, which deflated his numbers during that stretch. Overall, the Alaska native is 11-10-3 with an .887 save percentage and a 3.13 GAA through 24 appearances.