NHL Player News

Wedgewood allowed two goals on 24 shots in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. The third goal was an empty-netter.

Wedgewood was unable to get a 1-0 lead across the finish line in the third period. He allowed the two goals in a span of 2:07 in the middle of the frame, and the Avalanche's offense couldn't bail him out. Prior to this series, Wedgewood hadn't lost consecutive games in regulation since Jan. 4-6. He's stopped 46 of 51 shots against Vegas so far. It's unclear if head coach Jared Bednar is planning on a goaltending change for Game 3 in Vegas on Sunday, but Wedgewood has been decent despite the results going against him.

Dorofeyev notched two assists and two shots on goal in Friday's 3-1 win over the Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Dorofeyev is usually the finisher for the Golden Knights, but he took a playmaking turn to help grind out this win. He assisted on goals by Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, which flipped a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in the middle of the third period. Dorofeyev has six goals and three helpers during his six-game point streak, and he's up to 14 points (10 tallies, four assists) with 37 shots on net and a plus-6 rating through 14 outings this postseason.

Eichel scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Friday's 3-1 win over the Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Eichel got the Golden Knights on the board at 9:15 of the third period and then set up Ivan Barbashev for the go-ahead goal at 11:22. The tally was just the second of the playoffs for Eichel. What he's lacked in finishing, he's made up for in playmaking with 16 helpers. The star center has added 40 shots on net, 13 blocked shots, 10 hits, 12 PIM and a plus-9 rating over 14 playoff games in his usual top-line role.

Barbashev scored twice on three shots, dished an assist, logged seven hits and went plus-3 in Friday's 3-1 win over the Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Barbashev helped out on Jack Eichel's tying goal in the third period, then scored one of his own just over two minutes later. Barbashev added an empty-netter to seal this win, giving the Golden Knights a 2-0 series lead. The 30-year-old hadn't logged a multi-point effort this postseason but has still offered fairly consistent offense in the top six. He has five goals, seven assists, 23 shots on net, 74 hits and a plus-5 rating over 14 playoff outings.

Hart stopped 29 of 30 shots in Friday's 3-1 win over the Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Hart's certainly been tested in this series, but he's won two games on the road to put the Golden Knights in an outstanding position. He's turned aside 65 of 68 shots across those two victories and has matched his longest winning streak of the postseason (four games). It looks like it would take an injury to get Hart out of Vegas' crease at this point. Expect the 27-year-old to tend the twine on home ice in Game 3 on Sunday.

Tverberg scored twice and added an assist in AHL Toronto's 5-2 win over Cleveland in Game 4 on Friday.

Tverberg helped the Marlies force a decisive Game 5 in the North Division Finals. He's been steady this postseason with five goals, three assists and 14 shots on net over 12 contests. That comes after a 36-point performance over 63 regular-season games, which was enough to earn Tverberg his NHL debut in April.

Kettles is in the lineup for WHL Kelowna in its Memorial Cup game versus OHL Kitchener on Friday.

Kettles underwent shoulder surgery in November and missed six months of action, which was on the short end of his expected recovery timeline. The 18-year-old defenseman will get some high-quality action during the Memorial Cup for at least three games to close out the year. Given the time he missed, he'll likely be back in the WHL in 2026-27, as he signed his entry-level contract in November shortly after his shoulder procedure.

Hart will guard the road goal in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals versus the Avalanche on Friday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Hart stopped 36 of 38 shots to earn the win in Game 1, and he'll look to repeat that effort to give the Golden Knights a commanding series lead. Overall, he has gone 9-4 with a 2.35 GAA and a .918 save percentage over 13 playoff outings.

Stone (lower body) has been ruled out for Friday's Game 2 against the Avalanche, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Stone was present for the Golden Knights' morning skate Friday, but he'll ultimately be sidelined for a fifth consecutive game due to his lower-body injury. Brett Howden will presumably continue to occupy a spot in the top six, while it's not yet clear whether Stone will be able to suit up for Sunday's Game 3 against Colorado.

Makar (undisclosed) will not be in action to face the Golden Knights in Game 2 on Friday, Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports.

Makar skated with the No. 1 power-play unit at Friday's morning skate, but it seems the 27-year-old blueliner still isn't ready to suit up. In the absence of Makar, Devon Toews figures to take on an increased role, including with the man advantage, and should be a player to target in daily formats. For his part, once Makar is cleared, he figures to return to being a 25-plus minute-a-night player.