NHL Player News
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Philipp Grubauer G | SEA
Kraken's Philipp Grubauer: Secures win over Canucks
Grubauer stopped 32 of 34 shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Canucks.
Grubauer faced plenty of traffic, but he was up to the task to earn the win. The 34-year-old had lost his last three results, giving up 13 goals on 100 shots across four appearances in that span. Joey Daccord has struggled under a heavier workload since the Olympic break, so there's still room for Grubauer to take the reins again if he can get his own play on track. He's now 12-8-3 with a 2.52 GAA and a .913 save percentage through 26 appearances this season. Look for Daccord to get the nod Sunday versus the Panthers, but his performance in that game could lead to a shift in goalie deployment moving forward, especially if Grubauer carries some momentum from this win.
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Ian Cole D | UTA
Mammoth's Ian Cole: Puts away goal Saturday
Cole scored a goal, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.
Cole tied the game at 3-3 in the third period, but Noel Acciari answered with the game-winner a few minutes later. The 37-year-old Cole doesn't typically add much on offense, but he's earned three points over his last five games. He's firmly in a third-pairing role with the Mammoth's defense currently at full health. Cole has produced 19 points, matching his best total in the last five years, while adding 47 shots on net, 64 hits, 129 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-19 rating over 67 outings this season.
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Dylan Guenther RW | UTA
Mammoth's Dylan Guenther: Two quick strikes in loss
Guenther scored twice on five shots and added two hits in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.
Guenther scored off a turnover at 5:06 of the first period and then added an unassisted power-play tally just 1:31 later. The Mammoth's offense didn't keep up that quick pace, and Guenther's effort went for naught in the end. The 22-year-old has six goals and three assists over his last seven outings, and his second tally Saturday was his first power-play goal since Feb. 25 versus the Avalanche. The rising star winger is now at 33 goals, 58 points (17 on the power play), 207 shots on net, 52 hits and a plus-7 rating through 65 appearances this season.
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Karel Vejmelka G | UTA
Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Squanders early lead
Vejmelka allowed four goals on 23 shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.
Vejmelka has allowed three or more goals in four straight games, going 1-2-1 in that span. He was spotted a 2-0 lead after one period, but he gave up a pair of goals in each of the last two frames Saturday. Vejmelka slipped to 30-18-3 with a 2.72 GAA and an .896 save percentage over a league-high 52 starts this season. Vitek Vanecek saw a little more action earlier in March and may be needed to afford Vejmelka a rest on occasion. The Mammoth have a tough matchup for their next game, as they'll visit the surging Stars on Monday.
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Parker Wotherspoon D | PIT
Penguins' Parker Wotherspoon: Registers two assists
Wotherspoon posted two assists, three hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Wotherspoon last posted a multi-point effort Jan. 3 versus the Red Wings. The defenseman has three helpers over his last four games, but offense hasn't been a major factor in his play this season, which has been steady enough to command top-four minutes. Wotherspoon is at 22 points, 59 shots on net, 137 hits, 99 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-10 rating over 66 appearances and has often skated alongside Erik Karlsson at even strength.
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Yegor Chinakhov RW | PIT
Penguins' Yegor Chinakhov: Records two power-play assists
Chinakhov notched two power-play assists and three shots on goal in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Chinakhov had a hand in goals by Anthony Mantha and Bryan Rust, as the Penguins' special teams made a difference in the contest. With a goal and six helpers over his last five outings, Chinakhov continues to be an effective part of the Penguins' offence. The 25-year-old has earned 27 points over 57 appearances between Pittsburgh and Columbus this season, with just four of those points coming on the power play. He's within striking distance of reaching the 30-point mark for the first time in his career -- he came up one short in 2023-24 with the Blue Jackets.
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Erik Karlsson D | PIT
Penguins' Erik Karlsson: Supplies pair of helpers
Karlsson logged two assists, including one on the power play, and added a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Karlsson has earned a pair of assists in three of the Penguins' last four games. The 35-year-old defenseman has two goals and eight helpers across eight outings in March as he continues to pick up momentum late in the campaign. He's at six goals, 40 assists, 136 shots on net, 53 blocked shots and a plus-11 rating through 61 contests overall. Karlsson should be able to get to the 50-point threshold by the end of the season.
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Noel Acciari C | PIT
Penguins' Noel Acciari: Pots game-winner
Acciari scored a goal and added three hits in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Acciari scored for the second time in three games, and this tally was the game-winner. The 34-year-old forward's defensive skills have made him a fixture in the lineup, getting plenty of ice time despite his fourth-line assignment. He's up to eight goals, 17 points, 69 shots on net, 55 hits, 40 blocked shots, 21 PIM and a plus-8 rating over 52 outings this season. Acciari has a chance to reach the 20-point mark for just the third time in his career.
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Tommy Novak C | PIT
Penguins' Thomas Novak: Buries goal in win
Novak scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Novak's tally tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period. The 28-year-old has earned four points over the last five games and has looked capable in handling a larger role while the Penguins' forward group is depleted by absences. Novak now has 15 goals, 37 points, 104 shots on net and a plus-3 rating through 66 appearances. He's on pace to top the 40-point mark for the third time in his four full NHL campaigns.
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Bryan Rust RW | PIT
Penguins' Bryan Rust: Tallies on power play
Rust scored a power-play goal on two shots in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mammoth.
Rust has three goals and two assists over his last three games, and he's gotten on the scoresheet in eight of the last nine contests. The 33-year-old is picking up the pace while the Penguins are missing Sidney Crosby (lower body), Evgeni Malkin (suspension) and Justin Brazeau (upper body). Rust now has 51 points this season, including a career-best 22 on the power play. He's added 150 shots on net, 59 blocked shots, 26 hits and a plus-3 rating through 59 appearances.