NHL Player News

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.

Allen made 23 saves in a 5-2 win over Toronto on Tuesday.

John Tavares and Matias Maccelli were the only Leafs to beat him. Allen has been sharp as the Devils' top guy in the absence of Jacob Markstrom (lower body). He has won three straight games and sits with a 3-0-0 record, 1.91 GAA and .931 save percentage. On top of that, those wins came against fierce competition -- the Panthers, Oilers and Maple Leafs. Allen is an excellent fantasy play right now.

Wedgewood will protect the road goal versus the Mammoth on Tuesday.

This will be Wedgewood's seventh straight start. He's allowed exactly one goal in five of his first six outings, going 5-0-1 to begin the year. Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) appears to be nearing a return, but Wedgewood has played too well to slip fully back into the backup role right away, so fantasy managers should hold onto him to see how the workload gets distributed.

Kuemper will defend the road net against St. Louis on Tuesday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Following a two-game absence because of a lower-body injury, Kuemper will make his fourth start of the season. He has posted a record of 0-2-1 this season while stopping 66 of 76 shots. St. Louis has posted 3.00 goals per game through five appearances this campaign.

Dostal will protect the road goal versus the Predators on Tuesday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Dostal has started the season 1-2-1 with a 3.03 GAA and an .898 save percentage. He'll be making his fourth straight start, so he'll likely be due for a rest soon. The Predators have started to slump, going 0-2-1 with seven goals scored during their three-game losing streak.