NHL Player News

Hofer turned aside 10 of the 11 shots he faced after replacing Jordan Binnington midway through the second period of Monday's 5-2 loss to the Canucks.

The Blues were thoroughly outplayed on the night, and the switch in the crease did little to spark the team -- the one goal Hofer allowed came on a shorthanded breakaway by Pius Suter. The 24-year-old netminder has posted better numbers than Binnington in January, going 2-2-0 in five appearances with a 2.74 GAA and a .908 save percentage, but for now, he's still No. 2 on the depth chart.

Binnington allowed three goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Joel Hofer midway through the second period of Monday's 5-2 loss to the Canucks.

The switch in the crease was entirely about the sluggish play of St. Louis' skaters -- two of the goals Binnington allowed came on power plays, and the other came on a 2-on-1. Even so, the 31-year-old goalie has lost five of his last seven starts, going 2-5-0 with a 3.31 GAA and an .886 save percentage over that stretch. Binnington has maintained his hold on the No. 1 job for the Blues so far, but he could begin to lose more work to Hofer if he can't turn things around soon.

Lankinen stopped 24 shots in Monday's 5-2 win over the Blues.

Vancouver built a 3-0 lead midway through the second period, and Lankinen made sure St. Louis never got within striking distance of tying it up. The 29-year-old goalie has won back-to-back starts to give him 18 victories on the season, setting a new career high. Through eight outings in January, Lankinen is 4-2-2 with a 2.48 GAA and an .898 save percentage, and he figures to continue to get plenty of work as long as Thatcher Demko (3.52 GAA, .852 save percentage on the month) is struggling.

Ersson made 31 saves in Monday's 4-2 win over the Devils.

The Flyers took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, and Ersson was able to withstand a late rally by the visitors to preserve the victory. The 25-year-old netminder has been sharp in January since returning from a lower-body injury and reclaiming the top job in the Philly crease, going 6-2-0 in eight starts with a 2.24 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

Allen turned aside 22 of 25 shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Flyers, with Philadelphia's final goal getting scored into an empty net.

Philly took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, and while Allen kept his focus and gave New Jersey a chance to mount a comeback, the visitors couldn't find an equalizer. It was the veteran netminder's first loss in three outings since Jacob Markstrom (knee) was injured, and over five appearances in January, Allen has delivered an impressive 2.21 GAA and .912 save percentage.

Talbot made 24 saves in Monday's 5-2 win over the Kings.

The 37-year-old netminder allowed two goals in a 2:15 span late in the first period to put Detroit in a 2-0 hole, but Lucas Raymond started the comeback just 35 seconds later and Talbot shut the door the rest of the way. He's won three straight starts, continuing a strong January that has seen Talbot go 8-1-0 in nine outings with a 2.63 GAA and a .907 save percentage.

Kuemper stopped 23 of 27 shots in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Red Wings, with Detroit's final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The Kings struck twice in less than three minutes late in the first period to grab a 2-0 lead, but the home squad took control after that. Kuemper has hit a bit of a rough patch, going 1-2-1 over his last four starts with a 2.78 GAA and an .890 save percentage, and Monday's outing marked the first time the veteran netminder had given up more than three goals since Oct. 14.

Daccord will patrol the road blue paint in Monday's divisional matchup against the Oilers, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports.

Daccord has been consistent in the new year, sporting a 5-2-0 record, .927 save percentage and 2.19 GAA through nine appearances in January. The 28-year-old has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of those outings. Edmonton is 9-3-0 in its last 12 games, and Connor McDavid will return to the lineup Monday after serving a three-game suspension. Daccord has never emerged victorious against the Oilers in six career appearances.

Askarov will defend the home cage Monday against the Penguins, per Max Miller of NHL.com.

Askarov allowed three goals on 17 shots after replacing Alexandar Georgiev in the middle stanza of Saturday's 7-2 loss to Florida. The 22-year-old Askarov has conceded at least three goals in four consecutive outings, and he hasn't been in the win column since Jan. 4. The Russian netminder will attempt to earn his fourth win of the campaign against a Pittsburgh club that is tied for 17th in the NHL with 2.92 goals per game.

Skinner (personal) will not be in the lineup Monday versus the Kraken.

Skinner and his wife, Chloe, welcomed their child into the world Monday. The Oilers signed Tyler Palmer of the University of Alberta to an amateur tryout Monday as a result of Skinner's absence. Calvin Pickard will start versus the Kraken, while Palmer will back him up. Skinner's next chance to return to the lineup will be Thursday against the Red Wings.