NHL Player News

DeSmith stopped 22 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Devils.

DeSmith struggled against New Jersey's aggressive offensive attack, allowing four goals through the first two periods before conceding another in the third. The veteran finished with an .815 save percentage as Dallas' five-game winning streak ended. With Jake Oettinger ahead of him on the depth chart, DeSmith remains primarily a spot-start option, but fantasy managers shouldn't overlook him for just one bad game. DeSmith remains one of the best backup goaltenders in the league and should be a trusted matchup-based option every time Oettinger takes a break.

Hellebuyck stopped 17 of 18 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Stars.

Hellebuyck enjoyed a successful debut with New Jersey after arriving from Winnipeg in a blockbuster trade. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner faced relatively little pressure as the Devils controlled the contest, making his transition into the starting role considerably easier, and he was only beaten by Justin Hryckowian, who found the twine late in the second period. His arrival significantly strengthens New Jersey's goaltending outlook, and the combination of his established ability and the team's recent defensive form makes him an elite fantasy option. The Devils have won four games in a row while conceding just six goals over that stretch, meaning Hellebuyck landed in an excellent scenario.

Schmid made 24 saves in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.

The Panthers grabbed a 3-0 lead midway through the first period and Schmid never looked back, although an Adam Lowry shortie in the second spoiled his shutout bid. The 26-year-old netminder continues to handle No. 1 duties while Jacob Markstrom (upper body) is on the shelf, and through seven outings this season Schmid sports a 4-2-1 record with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage.

Vladar made 11 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to Columbus on Tuesday.

What a bizarre game. Vladar was assaulted by a marauding Blue Jackets squad midway in the first period, and he surrendered three goals in a 2:46 span. And then the snoozefest began -- Columbus barely mustered an attack in the next two frames. Vladar has looked a lot sharper of late, and he hasn't lost in regulation in his last four starts (2-0-2; eight goals allowed). Joseph Woll continues to push Vladar, and that will invariably help his game. The Flyers still struggle with consistency, though, and we never know exactly which orange-and-black team is going to show up.

Talbot made 28 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers on Tuesday.

Talbot was staked to a 3-0 lead in a 2:46 span midway through the first period when the Blue Jackets looked absolutely dominant. Then they buckled under the pressure of a Flyers team that turned up the heat. Talbot has won two consecutive starts; he made 26 saves in a 2-1 overtime win over the Golden Knights on Saturday. Watch for coach Rick Bowness to ride Talbot short term with Jet Greaves still finding his game.

Binnington made 18 saves in a 2-0 loss to Montreal on Tuesday.

Binner hasn't had a great start to the season, but he was strong Tuesday. His team didn't show up. The Blues are struggling -- they have been shut out in back-to-back games. Binnington is a tough play in this situation. Seek alternate options if you can.

Fowler made 46 saves in a 2-0 win over the Blues on Tuesday.

It was an NHL-career high save total for the rising netminder. Fowler now has two shutouts this season and three in his short career. He has allowed one goal or fewer in each of his last three starts. Fowler is in a real groove.

Ellis recorded a 23-save shutout in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Sharks.

Ellis hadn't played in the last five games, and given Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's inconsistency in that stretch, it's fair to question why Ellis didn't get a chance earlier. The 26-year-old netminder is now 2-1-0 with eight goals allowed on 82 shots over four games this season. The Sabres have two more stops on their road trip -- Thursday in Anaheim and Saturday in Los Angeles. It seems likely Ellis will get another look before the team heads back to Buffalo.

Askarov stopped 38 of 39 shots in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Sabres. The second goal was an empty-netter.

Askarov did his part, but the Sharks' defense left him pretty busy and the offense failed to support him. He's faced at least 31 shots in three straight outings, which suggests the team's defense needs to step up to cut down on the traffic directed at Askarov's net. The 24-year-old now has a 3-5-0 record with a 3.13 GAA and an .898 save percentage across eight games. He'll have an easier matchup ahead when the Sharks host the Canucks on Thursday.

Johansson stopped 25 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Golden Knights. The last two goals were empty-netters.

Johansson did his part to keep the game close until Vegas cashed in twice when he had left the crease for an extra attacker. The 31-year-old netminder is getting a chance to start while Linus Ullmark (lower body) is out. Johansson has allowed six goals on 55 shots over his two outings this season. The Senators visit the Kings on Thursday and then have a back-to-back with stops in San Jose on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday, so expect Johansson and Samuel Ersson to share the workload for the remainder of the road trip.