NHL Player News

Merzlikins made 32 saves in a 5-2 win over the Senators on Tuesday.

The Jackets played desperate hockey -- they're eight points behind the Canadiens for the second wild-card spot with five games remaining. Merzlikins will be the man in the twine tent for Columbus until they're officially eliminated. He played well Tuesday but had been particularly porous since the end of March. Elvis is 3-2-0 across his past five starts (six appearances), and prior to Tuesday, he had allowed 22 goals over his last four starts. Merzlikins could deliver a few wins for you, as long as you can absorb the high goals allowed.

Vejmelka stopped 18 of 19 shots in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Kraken.

Vejmelka has turned things around lately with four wins over his last five contests. The 28-year-old goalie has allowed just eight goals in that span. He's up to 25-21-7 on the season with a 2.51 GAA and a .907 save percentage over 55 appearances. This was Vejmelka's 21st consecutive start, and while Utah's playoff chances are incredibly thin, he'll likely continue to start while they're in contention. They could be eliminated if the Wild beat the Sharks on Wednesday -- if not, expect Vejmelka between the pipes Thursday against the Predators.

Forsberg made 30 saves in a 5-2 loss to Columbus on Tuesday.

It was a rough outing for Forsberg, who had gone 1-1-1 with only five goals allowed in his last four appearances. He's 10-12-2 in 28 starts this season, and he could see a few more outings before season's end. The Sens have secured a playoff berth, and they may give Linus Ullmark some rest. Forsberg could deliver a late-season fantasy boost if he can get some offensive support.

Bobrovsky made 17 saves in a 3-1 win over Toronto on Tuesday.

He wasn't truly tested -- the Leafs' big boys really didn't show up Tuesday. With the win, Bobrovsky snapped a three-game losing streak. He is 32-18-2 with five shutouts, a 2.42 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Bob is prepping for a postseason run, so watch for the Kitties to give him a bit of rest until season's end. He's played a lot over the last 12-14 months.

DeSmith stopped 26 of 32 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

DeSmith had a three-goal lead to protect with a minute remaining in regulation, but he allowed one goal to Aatu Raty and two more to Pius Suter. Kiefer Sherwood completed the Canucks' comeback in overtime, sending DeSmith to a brutal defeat. He's now 2-1-1 over his last four games, but he's given up 13 goals on 155 shots in that span. He's alternating starts with Jake Oettinger down the stretch to keep Oettinger fresh for the playoffs. DeSmith is now 14-7-2 with a 2.53 GAA and a .916 save percentage across 25 appearances. Assuming the goalie rotation continues, DeSmith's next start is projected to be Saturday versus Utah.

Woll made 34 saves in a 3-1 loss to Florida on Tuesday. He allowed two goals.

He played such a strong game. Woll didn't get a lot of help from his mates, and Morgan Rielly even made an uncharacteristic giveaway that gifted the Panthers their second goal. Woll allowed nine goals across two losses (0-1-1) from March 22-27, but those stinkers are bookended by five games in which he's surrendered just 10 goals and posted a 4-1-0 record. Woll and Anthony Stolarz head into toward the postseason with one of the best overall records in the NHL. We don't know which goalie will get the heavier load or if they'll continue to split games. The Leafs are in good hands either way.

Demko stopped 23 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win over the Stars. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

In one of the more unusual finishes to a game this season, the Canucks fell behind 5-2 after giving up two goals in 24 seconds late in the third period. They then bounced all the way back with three goals in the final minute, followed by a Kiefer Sherwood tally in overtime to give Demko his fourth win in his last six outings despite the poor performance. For the season, Demko is up to 10-8-3 with a 2.90 GAA and an .889 save percentage over 23 appearances. The Canucks' next game is another tough matchup in Colorado on Thursday.

Sorokin (upper body) exited Tuesday's game versus the Predators prior to the third period, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Sorokin got run into in his crease during the second period. He allowed four goals on 23 shots prior to his exit, but Sorokin was not on the bench when Marcus Hogberg took over in goal to begin the third period, which suggests an injury is the concern. The Islanders are unlikely to make the playoffs with or without Sorokin given the Canadiens' surge up the standings, but Sorokin's status looms large over the final week of the campaign.

Samsonov (upper body) won't be in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Avalanche, per the NHL media site.

There's been no update on Samsonov since he was a late scratch March 29 versus the Predators. The Golden Knights have little incentive to rush him back prior to the playoffs. Akira Schmid will start versus the Avalanche on Tuesday, but Adin Hill is Vegas' No. 1 netminder.

Grubauer is battling an illness and won't suit up for Tuesday's game versus Utah, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports.

Grubauer likely would have been in line to start Tuesday after Joey Daccord played Monday in Los Angeles, but a flu bug has changed the plans. It's unclear if Grubauer will be ready to go Thursday at Vegas. Tuesday's game concludes the last back-to-back set on the Kraken's schedule, so it's possible Grubauer may not get another game this season.