NHL Player News

Vejmelka stopped 30 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Avalanche.

Vejmelka won his fourth straight start and avenged his season-opening loss in Colorado with his victory. The 29-year-old netminder couldn't quite hold the lead late in the third period, but he ended up with the win anyway when Dylan Guenther scored 33 seconds into overtime. Vejmelka is now 4-1-0 with a 2.19 GAA and a .911 save percentage through five starts. His play between the pipes and the overall performance of the Mammoth look improved compared to last year, so he should return good value in fantasy. The Mammoth begin a road trip in St. Louis on Thursday.

Binnington stopped 26 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Kings.

Binnington put in a good performance, but the Blues weren't able to get enough offense going. The 32-year-old is now 2-1-1 with a 2.60 GAA and an .894 save percentage after his first overtime loss of the season. He's given up two or fewer goals in four of his five appearances this season and appears to have gotten past a five-goal fiasco in the season opener. The Blues wrap up this four-game homestand Thursday when the Mammoth come to town.

Ullmark made 22 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers on Tuesday.

The Sens played a strong team game, and Ullmark helped them earn a point. We hope this is the turning point for him -- he'd allowed 20 goals in his first five games. Overall, he's 2-3-1 with a 3.80 GAA and an .854 save percentage. Ullmark needs to be better.

Kuemper stopped 17 of 18 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime win over the Blues.

Kuemper missed two games due to a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old didn't face a lot of traffic Tuesday, but he still had to be sharp in this close contest. Justin Faulk's power-play tally early in the third period was all he gave up. This was Kuemper's first win in four outings this season, and he's allowed 11 goals on 94 shots, as the Kings have done well to keep the shot counts low through strong defense. As long as his injury is behind him, Kuemper should handle a starter's workload for the remainder of the season. The Kings continue their road trip in Dallas on Thursday.

Saros stopped 28 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Ducks.

Saros' strong start to the season is quickly fading, as he's allowed 12 goals on 87 shots over his last three games, going 0-2-1 in that span. The Ducks got the better of him with a three-goal second period Tuesday that ended up deciding the game. Saros is at 2-2-2 with a 2.78 GAA and a .906 save percentage across his six starts this season. The Predators' next game is at home Thursday versus the Canucks.

Skinner made 21 saves Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime victory over Ottawa.

It was Skinner's 100th NHL win. The Oilers will use patience with their netminder, who needs to keep working on his glove hand and the way he handles the puck. Skinner is working with a new goalie coach, and while he's just 2-2-1, he does have a solid 2.17 GAA. That's better than he's delivered in any season so far. We are keeping the faith.

Dostal stopped 26 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Dostal has sharpened up in his last two games, and he was rewarded for the effort this time. The Ducks' three-goal second period was enough for him to ride to the win, giving him a 2-2-1 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .904 save percentage over five starts this season. Dostal's got the talent to be a No. 1 goalie for Anaheim, but how many wins he racks up will depend on the team in front of him taking a step forward on offense. The Ducks have four or more goals in three games this year, but they've scored just one goal in their other three contests. Their road trip reaches its midpoint in Boston on Thursday.

Stolarz made 30 saves in a 5-2 loss to the Devils on Tuesday.

He allowed four goals. The second period was a bit messy for Stolarz -- the Devils put up three goals in a 3:57 span to go up 3-1 -- but he settled back into a groove and gave his team a chance to come back. After an Opening Night victory, Stolarz has gone 1-3-1, and he's allowed four goals in three of those five games. The team hasn't been clicking so far this season, so his numbers should stabilize as the team does.

Oettinger surrendered four goals on 28 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Oettinger has lost two straight starts after opening the season on a three-game winning streak. The 26-year-old didn't get enough goal support Tuesday, but he allowed two goals in each of the first and third periods as well. He's allowed four tallies in three of his five starts this season, en route to a mediocre 3.18 GAA and .896 save percentage. The Stars continue their homestand against the Kings on Thursday.

Merzlikins stopped 22 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Stars.

Merzlikins has now won two of his three starts this season. The Blue Jackets' defense was a little sturdier in this game after allowing him to see 87 shots over his first two outings. He's turned aside 102 of 110 shots through three games, good for a .927 save percentage. Merzlikins and Jet Greaves have alternated starts, and while the results haven't been consistent yet, it seems to be working well for both goalies. If that pattern continues, Greaves would get a home game Friday versus the Capitals before Merzlikins would take the net Saturday in Pittsburgh.