NHL Player News

Vladar is set to start at home against Edmonton on Wednesday.

Vladar has won his past two starts while stopping 39 of 44 shots (.886 save percentage). He's 6-3-0 with a 2.18 GAA and a .917 save percentage in nine outings this year. Edmonton ranks 17th in goals per game this year with 3.06.

Montembeault turned aside 21 of 25 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Los Angeles, with the Kings' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The Habs spotted Montembeault a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but it evaporated quickly in the second as the Kings struck three times in the first six minutes of the frame. The 29-year-old netminder has given up at least four goals in five of his last seven starts, stumbling to a 3.80 GAA and .853 save percentage over that stretch with a 3-3-1 record.

Kuemper stopped 21 shots in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Canadiens.

Josh Anderson ripped a shot over Kuemper's glove late in the first period to give the Habs a 1-0 lead, but the veteran netminder shut down Montreal the rest of the way as his offense roared to life. Kuemper has won three straight starts while allowing only three goals on 78 shots. He has a 6-3-3 record in 12 outings this season with a 2.40 GAA and a .908 save percentage.

Kochetkov didn't face a shot in 3:36 of ice time after replacing Frederik Andersen (concussion) late in the third period of Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Capitals.

Kochetkov was on the bench for an extra skater when Alex Ovechkin scored Washington's final tally into an empty net. The two Carolina netminders had been alternating starts since Kochetkov recovered from a lower-body injury and made his season debut Nov. 4. The 26-year-old Kochetkov could see his workload increase significantly in the short term if the team is cautious with Andersen, who has had multiple concussions in his career.

Thompson made 30 saves in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.

Nikolaj Ehlers jammed home a rebound midway through the second period, but that was the only puck to get past Thompson on the night. The 28-year-old netminder continues to build an early Vezina case, as he has yet to allow more than three goals in a start while going 7-4-0 with a 1.56 GAA and .935 save percentage.

Demko (lower body) is expected to be evaluated Wednesday and Thursday before a timetable for his recovery will be determined, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK.

Demko's current injury is a new issue that's unrelated to past injuries, including the undisclosed problem that resulted in him skipping Saturday's and Sunday's games against Columbus and Colorado, respectively. Assuming Demko misses time, Kevin Lankinen will probably get the bulk of the starts during Demko's absence, but Jiri Patera might end up getting into some games as well.

Skarek posted a 27-save shutout in AHL San Jose's 7-0 win over Abbotsford on Tuesday.

Skarek took advantage of a reeling opponent, and he received plenty of support to earn his first shutout of the season. Through six outings, Skarek has a 3.63 GAA and an .875 save percentage despite posting a 4-2-0 record. It may have been a good time to make an impression -- Alex Nedeljkovic (personal) is away from the Sharks during their road trip, which likely means the big club will need to call up either Skarek or Gabriel Carriere. The latter has posted better numbers this season, but Skarek is more experienced.

Murray stopped 33 of 34 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets.

Murray put in his best performance of the season so far, but he wasn't able to snag a win as Jet Greaves kept things level in the other crease. The 31-year-old Murray has allowed seven goals over four appearances (three starts) to begin his tenure with the Kraken, but he's 0-2-1. He's started the last two games over Philipp Grubauer and has likely earned additional time while Joey Daccord (upper body) is on the mend. It's quite possible Murray is playing for his roster spot, as it could be untenable for the Kraken to carry three goalies once Daccord is healthy.

Greaves stopped 22 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout win over the Kraken.

Greaves played both halves of the Blue Jackets' back-to-back. He was torched for five goals on 24 shots Monday in Edmonton, but he fared much better against the Kraken's pedestrian offense, earning his first win in his last three starts. This was also his first instance of starting consecutive games this season. Greaves is up to 4-4-1 with a 2.89 GAA and a .901 save percentage over nine starts. The 24-year-old has been fine for a middling team, but it's unlikely he'll fully pull ahead of Elvis Merzlikins in the competition for time in the crease. The Blue Jackets' next game is at home against the Oilers on Thursday.

Lankinen stopped 20 of 21 shots in relief of Thatcher Demko (lower body) in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Jets.

The Canucks were able to cover Demko's damage from the first period, leaving Lankinen to take the loss despite a sharp performance. The injury to Demko is unrelated to his previous undisclosed issue that kept him out of action over this past weekend. It's likely Lankinen will retake control of the No. 1 job between the pipes, and Jiri Patera will be his backup as long as Demko is out. Lankinen is now 3-5-1 with a 3.57 GAA and an .885 save percentage over nine appearances. The Canucks begin a three-game road trip versus the Hurricanes on Friday.