NHL Player News

Bjugstad scored a shorthanded game-winning goal in Tuesday's 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes.

The veteran center opened the scoring early in the second period, picking the top corner over Brandon Bussi's glove from the faceoff dot, and it would be all the offensive support Joel Hofer would need. Bjugstad was returning from a 15-game absence due to an upper-body injury, and both the shortie and the GWG were his first of the season. Through 26 contests in 2025-26, Bjugstad has five goals but only six points with 53 hits, 42 shots on net, 18 blocked shots, 12 PIM and a minus-3 rating.

Hofer turned aside all 33 shots he faced in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Carolina.

It was the fourth shutout of the season for Hofer, tying him with Ilya Sorokin and Jesper Wallstedt for the league lead. Hofer has two of those shutouts in his last seven starts. He has been solidifying his hold on the top spot in the St. Louis crease, going 5-2-0 over that seven-outing stretch with a 2.02 GAA and a .930 save percentage.

Bussi stopped 28 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Blues.

All three goals against the 27-year-old netminder came in the second period. Bussi was beaten high glove side during a Carolina power play and a penalty kill. It's only his second regulation loss since late October. Over 16 starts since the beginning of November, Bussi's gone 13-2-1 with a 2.33 GAA and an .898 save percentage.

Swayman made 24 saves in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Detroit.

The shutout was the first of the season for Swayman. The 27-year-old netminder has found a groove since Christmas, allowing two goals or fewer in five of his last six starts. He is 4-1-1 over that stretch with a 2.31 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

Talbot turned aside 38 of 40 shots in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Bruins, with Boston's final goal getting scored into an empty net.

Talbot didn't have much chance on either of the pucks that got past him, and the Red Wings left their offense on the plane in Boston. It was the veteran netminder's first regulation loss since Dec. 17, and he has gone 2-1-1 in his last four outings. On the season, Talbot is 11-7-3 in 22 appearances with a 2.95 GAA and an .892 save percentage.

Sandin notched three assists in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over Montreal.

With the Capitals down 2-0 in the third period, the 25-year-old blueliner got to work, helping to set up a pair of Ethen Frank tallies to tie things up before having a hand in Connor McMichael's OT winner. Sandin snapped a six-game point drought with the performance, and he saw a season-high 24:36 TOI with Jakob Chychrun (illness) unavailable. On the season, Sandin has two goals and 16 points in 41 contests.

Frank scored two goals in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens.

With the Capitals down 2-0 in the third period, Frank sent the game to OT with his third two-goal performance of the season. The 27-year-old winger has found the back of the net in three straight games, and while Frank has just 10 goals and 18 points in 36 contests, his role seems to be growing. He logged a season-high 18:08 of ice time against the Canadiens, including 4:44 on the power play.

Markstrom is slated to start Wednesday's home matchup against the Kraken, per Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site.

After a strong outing in Monday's 5-2 win over the Wild, Markstrom will make consecutive starts for the first time since early December. While he has experienced his fair share of recent struggles, he has three wins over his last six appearances. Overall, the 35-year-old netminder has an 11-10-1 record with a 3.41 GAA and an .879 save percentage across 23 games this season. He'll take on a red-hot Kraken team that has gone 7-1-2 over its last 10 games, which could make him a bit of a risky play for fantasy managers.

Thompson stopped 24 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens.

The Capitals were down 2-0 heading into the third period, but Thompson shut the door the rest of the way as his team rallied. The 28-year-old netminder appears to be regaining his form in January after a bumpy close to December. He has gone 2-2-1 in his past five starts with a 2.36 GAA and a .920 save percentage.

Montembeault made 39 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Capitals.

The Canadiens were outshot 42-26 on the night, and while Montembeault took a 2-0 lead into the third period, he eventually crumbled under the barrage. The 29-year-old netminder has started four of Montreal's last nine games, going 3-0-1 with a 2.40 GAA and a .921 save percentage as he makes a push to regain the top spot in the crease.