NHL Player News

Vanecek stopped 14 of 18 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Toronto, with the Maple Leafs' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The veteran netminder held the home squad off the scoreboard in the first period, but the floodgates cracked open in the second after William Nylander slotted home a rebound just under five minutes into the frame. It's the first time in four starts Vanecek has allowed more than two goals, and he has a 2-2-0 record, 2.52 GAA and .885 save percentage on the season.

Lankinen stopped 23 of 27 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Lankinen kept the game scoreless through two periods, but the Blackhawks rattled off four goals in 11:37 to start the third. That was enough to send Lankinen to another loss, dropping him to 2-4-0 with a 3.62 GAA and an .880 save percentage over six starts this season. He shouldn't have to wait long for his next start, as the Canucks play a back-to-back this weekend. They host the Blue Jackets on Saturday followed by the Avalanche on Sunday, so look for Lankinen and Thatcher Demko to split those starts.

Knight stopped 43 of 45 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canucks.

The game was scoreless through two periods before the Blackhawks' offense came alive. The Canucks continued to push, and Knight's shutout bid was spoiled with 3:11 left when Aatu Raty scored. Knight got a little revenge with an assist on Connor Bedard's empty-netter. The 24-year-old Knight continues to impress, as he's allowed more than three goals just once all season. He's at a 5-3-2 record with a 2.56 GAA and a .919 save percentage through 10 starts. The Blackhawks have a favorable matchup next on the schedule as they visit the Flames on Friday.

Murray allowed a goal on three shots in relief of Joey Daccord in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Sharks.

Murray came in after Daccord allowed a shorthanded goal to Ty Dellandrea. The first shot Murray faced was right after Tyler Toffoli exited the penalty box at the conclusion of a Kraken power play, and Toffoli was able to convert for the goal. Murray has made two appearances with the Kraken, and he's allowed four goals on 36 shots. The 31-year-old is battling with Philipp Grubauer for backup duties, but Daccord's heavy workload has left little opportunity for the other two goalies to get time. One of Murray or Grubauer should start either Saturday in St. Louis or Sunday in Dallas.

Daccord allowed five goals on 20 shots in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Sharks.

Daccord received the hook after allowing a shorthanded goal to Ty Dellandrea at 3:24 of the third period. Matt Murray took over between the pipes and allowed the Sharks' sixth goal of the game. Wednesday marks the third time this year Daccord has allowed five goals, but he's been generally good while helping the Kraken stay near the top of the Pacific Division. The 29-year-old netminder is now 6-2-3 with a 2.83 GAA and a .900 save percentage over 11 starts. He made his sixth straight start, so it's safe to assume he'll get rest with a weekend back-to-back up next. The Kraken visit the struggling Blues on Saturday before heading to Dallas on Sunday.

Askarov stopped 28 of 29 shots in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Kraken.

Askarov has now won three of his last four outings. He's been sharp in his past two victories, stopping 64 of 67 shots to take down the Avalanche and Kraken. Askarov is up to 3-4-1 with a 3.88 GAA and an .874 save percentage over eight outings this season. He had a stretch where he started three consecutive games, but he has returned to alternating starts with Alex Nedeljkovic. Both goalies should get a turn between the pipes with an upcoming back-to-back set, as the Sharks host the Jets on Friday and the Panthers on Saturday.

Greaves allowed four goals on 25 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Flames. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Greaves struggled against the Flames, allowing two goals in the first 92 seconds of the game. That would be enough to send him to his fourth loss of the season (3-4-0. He has allowed more than three goals in a game just two times this season. The 24-year-old has maintained a 2.89 GAA and a .907 save percentage through seven starts. Elvis Merzlikins is likely to start Saturday in Vancouver, while Greaves' next outing could be Monday in Edmonton if the Blue Jackets maintain their current trend of alternating goalie starts.

Wolf stopped 42 of 43 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets.

Wolf had his busiest game of the season so far and came away with a second straight win. He's allowed exactly one goal in three of his last five outings, so it appears he's starting to turn a corner after a tough start to the year. Wolf is still at a lackluster 4-8-1 record with a 3.19 GAA and an .895 save percentage over 13 starts. The Flames are back in action Friday at home versus the Blackhawks.

Knight will guard the road goal versus the Canucks on Wednesday, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Knight has hit a bit of a skid, going 1-1-1 with 12 goals allowed on 86 shots over his last three games. He may get a bit of a reprieve against a Canucks team that is far from full strength, though Conor Garland (undisclosed) will be back in the lineup.

Stolarz will guard the home goal versus the Mammoth on Wednesday, Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports.

Stolarz has won three straight games, allowing eight goals on 99 shots in that span. The 31-year-old is 5-4-1 through 10 outings this season, but his recent play has been an improvement compared to earlier outings. He's facing a Mammoth team that has scored 3.38 goals per game this season.