NHL Player News

Lankinen stopped 14 of 16 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.

The Ducks didn't have much going in the second half of their back-to-back, leaving Lankinen with little to do. In that regard, it wasn't a particularly inspiring performance from the 29-year-old netminder, but it was enough for his third win in five starts. He's now at a 21-10-7 record through a career-high 38 games, and he's added a 2.56 GAA and a .904 save percentage. The Canucks' homestand continues with a tougher matchup Friday versus the Wild.

Kuemper stopped 28 of 30 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Blues.

Kuemper played a much better game than he had in his previous two outings, but still came away without a win. He's given up 12 goals on 79 shots during his three-game skid (0-2-1). For the season, the 34-year-old netminder is now 18-8-7 with a 2.36 GAA and a .911 save percentage through 34 appearances. Kuemper could get another crack at the Blues if he gets the nod Saturday, though it is the first half of a back-to-back since the Kings are visiting the Golden Knights on Sunday.

Binnington stopped 21 of 23 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout win over the Kings.

Binnington earned his fifth win in his last six outings with this performance, which also saw him turn aside two of three shootout attempts. The 31-year-old has allowed two or fewer goals in four of those six games. For the season, he's at a 19-20-4 record with a 2.78 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 44 appearances. Binnington is handling a starter's workload as he tries to help the Blues keep pace in the playoff race. The Blues have a back-to-back up next with games Friday in Anaheim and Saturday back in Los Angeles -- if head coach Jim Montgomery plays the matchups, Binnington would be likely to see the Kings again for the third time in eight days.

Stolarz stopped 16 of 18 shots in relief of Joseph Woll in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Woll didn't get through all of the first period after allowed three goals on seven shots, and Stolarz was brought in to settle things down. Stolarz gave up both of his goals in the second period, and while he was sharp after that, the damage was too much for the Maple Leafs to come back from. Stolarz's record didn't take a hit -- he remains at 13-5-3 with a 2.21 GAA and a .925 save percentage over 23 appearances. He's been the better of Toronto's two goalies lately, but it's likely they continue to share the crease down the stretch unless the team is put in a position where riding the hot hand would be required. The Maple Leafs' road trip continues Saturday in Colorado.

Woll allowed three goals on seven shots before he was replaced by Anthony Stolarz in the first period of Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.

Woll won despite allowing five goals on 34 shots versus the Penguins on Sunday, but he wasn't allowed to play through his struggles a second time. The 26-year-old was stuck with the loss in the end after being responsible for Jack Eichel's power-play goal that led to his early exit. Woll is down to 21-12-0 with a 2.78 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 33 appearances this season. The Maple Leafs' next matchup is another tough one as they visit the Avalanche on Saturday.

Hill stopped 30 of 32 shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

Hill stretched his winning streak to four games -- he's allowed just four goals in that span. The Golden Knights had the first five goals in this contest, while the Maple Leafs tallied on the power play and off a turnover in a weak attempt at a comeback. Hill is now 23-10-4 with a 2.50 GAA and a .907 save percentage across 37 appearances. The 28-year-old has been sharing the goaltending duties with Ilya Samsonov, though this was Hill's second start in a row. The Golden Knights' homestand continues Friday versus the Penguins.

Gibson (lower body) will not return to Wednesday's game versus the Canucks.

Gibson has been hurt in games a few times recently, but this one stemmed from a collision in the crease. Both of his previous mid-game injuries were upper-body concerns, so this is likely unrelated. The 31-year-old netminder may end up staying with the Ducks through Friday's trade deadline if this injury proves to be significant. Lukas Dostal took over in goal and will likely operate as the No. 1 netminder as long as Gibson is out.

Vejmelka signed a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension with Utah on Wednesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.

Vejmelka's name has dangled in trade rumors for a couple of years, but that will now come to an end. Utah will secure its top goalie at a cap hit of $4.75 million, keeping him in the fold for a playoff push this year as well as in future years as the team integrates more prospects. Vejmelka has been well worth the money this year, earning a 16-16-4 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .910 save percentage over 38 contests. The 28-year-old may not ever work as a true No. 1, but he can handle a majority of the workload over Connor Ingram, who is signed through next season.

Knight will start in goal at home versus Utah on Friday, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

Knight will make his second start as a Blackhawk on Friday after he was acquired from the Panthers on Saturday. Lazerus adds that the Blackhawks will move forward with Knight and Arvid Soderblom sharing the crease, leaving Petr Mrazek as the odd man out. This suggests the Blackhawks could pursue trading Mrazek before Friday's deadline, but in any case, Knight will have steady playing time for the remainder of the campaign.

Gibson will protect the road goal versus the Canucks on Wednesday.

Gibson gets the nod for the second half of a back-to-back after Lukas Dostal was in net for Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Oilers. Gibson allowed six goals on 24 shots in his return from an upper-body injury versus the Blackhawks on Saturday. The 31-year-old netminder has a 2.80 GAA and a .909 save percentage this season, though the Ducks' modest offense has left him with a 9-10-2 record.