NHL Player News

Garand stopped 11 of 12 shots in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Capitals. Washington's third goal was an empty-netter.

Garand entered the contest midway through the second period after Igor Shesterkin suffered a lower-body injury, taking over with the score tied 1-1. The 24-year-old netminder played 29:45 and allowed the eventual game-winning goal to Boone Jenner at 17:38 of the middle frame. Garand finished with a .917 save percentage and should be in line for more starts if Shesterkin is forced to miss extended time. While this performance was encouraging considering the circumstances, the Rangers would suffer a huge blow if they're forced to play Garand as their No. 1 goaltender regularly in the coming weeks. He could be in line to start Sunday against the Canucks if Shesterkin isn't recovered by then.

Shesterkin (lower body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Capitals.

Shesterkin was injured as his right leg got jammed into the post as he made his way back to the crease on a scrambled play in the Rangers' zone. The 30-year-old goalie can be considered day-to-day for now, but he put no weight on his leg as he exited the ice, which doesn't bode well. If he misses time, the Rangers are in a pickle since both Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) and Spencer Martin (lower body) are also sidelined. Expect Dylan Garand to get a heavy run of starts if Shesterkin misses time, though the Rangers could also pursue the trade route to help their depth.

Martin is dealing with a lower-body injury for AHL Hartford, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports Friday.

Igor Shesterkin left Friday's game versus the Capitals due to an apparent lower-body injury as well, leaving the Rangers' organizational depth in goal on thin ice. Martin would typically be the next man up when healthy, but this injury would prevent that from happening. Martin is considered day-to-day at this time.

Tarasov is expected to start on the road in Saturday's game versus the Canadiens, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

It will be Tarasov's first start of the campaign. The 27-year-old netminder has settled in as backup to John Gibson early in 2026-27. The Red Wings' offense has been inconsistent so far, making Tarasov a risky option on the second half of a back-to-back.

Dostal will protect the road goal versus the Jets on Friday.

Dostal is looking to bounce back after allowing five goals on 17 shots over two periods against the Oilers on Wednesday. That was his first loss in three starts this season. The 26-year-old will face a Jets team that has enjoyed a hot start to the year with 12 goals over four games while going 3-0-1.

Grubauer will protect the road goal versus the Red Wings on Friday, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

Grubauer will make his second start and third appearance of the season. He has allowed three goals on 32 shots so far this season. Joey Daccord is expected to command a majority of the starts in goal, but Grubauer's play has been steady enough for him to challenge for something closer to an even timeshare in net.

Gustavsson (hip) was placed on long-term injured reserve Friday.

Gustavsson was placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season following offseason hip surgery, and he isn't expected to return until around early November. As a result, it isn't very surprising to see him shift to long-term injured reserve, and the move shouldn't impact his return timetable. Jesper Wallstedt should continue to serve as Minnesota's No. 1 netminder in Gustavsson's absence.

Montembeault (lower body) is expected to be sidelined for 10-14 days, J-F Chaumont of NHL.com reports Friday.

Montembeault should be expected to miss at least the next four games at a minimum. Even when healthy, Montembeault is far from a lock to play regularly, with Jakub Dobes firmly cemented as the No. 1 option while Jacob Fowler slots into the backup role.

Murashov was the first goalie to leave the ice Friday, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports, indicating he'll tend the twine on the road against Columbus.

Murashov will make his second appearance of the year after giving up three goals on 35 shots in a loss to Winnipeg on Monday. With Arturs Silovs underwhelming, he's posted a 3.37 GAA across three games; the door is open for the 22-year-old Murashov to see more opportunities in the crease for the Penguins.

Shesterkin will start Friday's road game against Washington, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

After an Opening Night loss in Boston, Shesterkin has bounced back with wins in each of his last three starts, posting a 1.67 GAA and .932 save percentage during those victories. Across two starts against the Capitals last year, he went 2-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .925 save percentage.