NHL Player News

Gustavsson will start Wednesday's road game against the Rangers, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Gustavsson was relatively sharp over 13 appearances in March, going 7-4-2 with a 1.98 GAA and .930 save percentage. He's coming off back-to-back losses but will attempt to turn things around against the Rangers, who rank 13th in the NHL with 3.01 goals per game.

Stolarz will get the starting nod at home versus the Panthers on Wednesday, Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun reports.

Stolarz and Joseph Woll have been splitting the workload of late, with Stolarz featuring in six of the Maple Leafs' last six contests. In those appearances, the 31-year-old netminder is undefeated while sporting a 2.00 GAA and .929 save percentage. Given the recent rotation, look for Woll to go against the Blue Jackets on Saturday before Stolarz is back in the crease versus the Panthers again Tuesday.

Mandolese was elevated from AHL Colorado on Wednesday.

Mandolese's elevation to the NHL roster could be an indication that Mackenzie Blackwood or Scott Wedgewood will be unavailable versus Chicago on Wednesday. With a back-to-back on the schedule, it's possible that Mandolese will get into his first NHL games since the 2022-23 campaign, when he was with the Senators.

Shesterkin is expected to start at home against Minnesota on Wednesday, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.

Shesterkin has struggled recently, posting a 1-4-1 record, 3.24 GAA and .900 save percentage across his past six appearances. It's the latest rough stretch in what's been a disappointing campaign overall -- he's 24-26-5 with a 2.84 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 55 outings. The Wild rank 28th in the league with just 2.68 goals per game, so Shesterkin has an opportunity to have a solid night.

Ullmark stopped 17 of 21 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Buffalo, with the Sabres' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The Senators out-shot the Sabres 12-5 in the first period but headed into the first intermission staring at a 2-0 deficit, and they never really recovered. Although it wasn't the case Tuesday, Ullmark has benefitted from some timely offensive support during the Sens' playoff push -- since the beginning of March he's gone 9-3-1 despite a 3.09 GAA and .898 save percentage, and all four losses have come when he surrendered more than three goals.

Reimer turned aside 33 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Senators.

The 37-year-old has, improbably, been one of the hottest goalies in the NHL of late. Reimer has started five of the Sabres' last six games and won all five, although his 3.00 GAA and .904 save percentage during the winning streak are more sturdy than stellar. He's benefitted from the resurgence of the Buffalo offense, as the team has averaged 5.6 goals in the five victories.

Montembeault stopped 25 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Panthers.

The netminder played well -- both pucks that got past him deflected off the sticks of Montreal defenders -- but Montembeault was staring at a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period, only for Nick Suzuki to play hero with a goal late in regulation and then another early in OT. Montembeault stumbled a bit late in March but seems to be rallying with the playoffs approaching, allowing seven goals on 76 shots (.908 save percentage) over his last three starts.

Vanecek made 18 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens.

The Panthers held a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, but Vanecek couldn't make it stick as Nick Suzuki scored two goals 38 seconds apart -- the first with nine seconds left in regulation, and then the winner 29 seconds into OT. After winning his first start for Florida, Vanecek has dropped his last three decisions, going 0-2-1 with a 4.04 GAA and .862 save percentage. The Panthers are all but locked into a playoff spot but are fighting for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Maple Leafs and Lightning, so how much they prioritize that seeding could determine how often Vanecek gets used to spell Sergei Bobrovsky down the stretch.

Annunen stopped 10 of 11 shots in relief of Juuse Saros in Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Annunen was tagged in for the third period after Saros allowed three goals over the final eight minutes in the middle frame, turning a close game into a blowout. The 25-year-old Annunen gave up the third goal of Kirill Marchenko's hat trick, but that was the only blemish on his performance. Annunen remains at 14-13-1 with a 2.98 GAA and an .891 save percentage over 31 outings this season between the Predators and the Avalanche. Saros has struggled throughout the campaign, so Annunen may see a bit more action down the stretch since the team has nothing but draft position to play for. Both Nashville goalies are best avoided for Thursday's road game in Dallas.

Hellebuyck stopped 16 of 19 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Kings. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

The Kings have excelled at home this season, and the Jets were the latest team that was unable to break through in any meaningful way. Hellebuyck also didn't have a performance to remember, as two goals in the middle of the first period ended up being enough to sink him. This ended his four-game winning streak, and he's now 43-11-3 with a 2.02 GAA and a .924 save percentage through 58 appearances this season. The Jets' next game is another tough one in Vegas on Thursday.