NHL Player News

Lafreniere scored two goals, including one on the power play, and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Lafreniere ended a five-game goal drought with the effort. The 24-year-old winger has earned five goals and six assists over his last 12 outings as he continues to put together a strong final quarter of the campaign. He's up to 24 goals, 55 points, 161 shots on net, 84 hits, 42 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 79 appearances. He needs three points over the Rangers' last three games to establish a new career high.

Shesterkin stopped 22 of 26 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Shesterkin had a 3-2 lead to protect after the second period, but the Rangers got caved in during the third. They managed just one shot on goal, and Shesterkin couldn't hold the fort, giving up goals to Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker in a span of 1:23 to flip the game around. Shesterkin is down to 25-18-6 with a 2.53 GAA and a .911 save percentage after taking his second loss in his last five outings. With the Rangers eliminated from playoff contention, it's unclear if Shesterkin will maintain a heavy workload in the final week of the season. The team closes out the year on a three-game road trip, beginning Saturday in Dallas.

Tuch scored a goal and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Tuch has scored in consecutive games and has four points over his last five contests. His tally Wednesday tied the game at 3-3 early in the third period. The veteran winger is up to 31 goals, 63 points, 189 shots on net, 87 blocked shots, 81 hits, 57 PIM and a plus-22 rating through 76 appearances. Tuch's well-rounded production makes him an excellent option in most fantasy formats.

McLeod scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

McLeod opened the scoring at 4:40 of the first period and set up Jason Zucker's game-winner in the third. The 26-year-old McLeod had gone 16 games without a goal, supplying seven assists and just 10 shots on net in that span. Despite the shaky offense, he's maintained a second-line role. He's now at 13 goals, 53 points, 89 shots on net and a plus-23 rating over 79 appearances, matching his career-high point total from last year.

Zucker scored a goal on four shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Zucker has back-to-back two-point games after going five contests without getting on the scoresheet. The 34-year-old winger continues to be effective in a second-line role, providing good complementary offense and a little physicality. He's earned 24 goals, 43 points, 126 shots on net, 56 hits and a minus-6 rating over 60 appearances this season.

Benson scored twice on three shots in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Benson put the Sabres ahead 2-0 in the first period, but that lead didn't last. He ended up adding the empty-netter in the third to cap the Sabres' rally in the final frame. Benson had gone six games without a goal prior to Wednesday, adding just two assists in that span. He's now at 12 goals, 39 points, 108 shots on net, 39 hits, 49 PIM and a plus-21 rating across 62 appearances this season.

Luukkonen stopped 17 of 20 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Luukkonen wasn't at his best, and Buffalo trailed 3-2 after two periods. He stayed in goal for the third, and the Sabres' defense stepped up, as Luukkonen faced just one shot in the final frame while his teammates rallied for the win. The 27-year-old has won four of his last five outings and is up to 21-9-3 with a 2.56 GAA and a .908 save percentage across 34 appearances. If Alex Lyon (lower body) isn't able to play Thursday at home versus the Blue Jackets, Colten Ellis will likely get the nod. However, Luukkonen's light workload in Wednesday's win could keep him in consideration.

Dickinson left Wednesday's game versus the Sharks after taking a blocked shot to the back of the leg in the third period, Jamie Umbach of the Oilers' official site reports.

Dickinson needed help off the ice, which isn't a good sign. The 30-year-old will be considered day-to-day ahead of Saturday's game versus the Kings. If Dickinson is out, Curtis Lazar will likely check into the lineup, while Adam Henrique could be tasked with a larger role.

Ingram was pulled from Wednesday's game versus the Sharks due to an undisclosed issue, Jamie Umbach of the Oilers' official site reports.

Ingram stopped eight of 10 shots in the first two periods before exiting the contest for precautionary reasons. He experienced some discomfort late in the second period, so Tristan Jarry entered the game in the third frame. It doesn't appear that the issue is serious, but it's unclear if Ingram will be available for Saturday's road matchup against the Kings.

Bowman scored twice in AHL Henderson's 3-1 win over Coachella Valley on Wednesday.

Bowman has seven points over three games since returning to the AHL after a long stretch with the Golden Knights. The winger clearly isn't pouting about his demotion, and if he doesn't get back to the NHL this season, he'll still get a taste of playoff action with the AHL club. He's earned 11 goals and 19 points across 15 AHL appearances.