NHL Player News

Hofer stopped 30 of 31 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Flames.

Hofer saw the puck get past him a few times, but the Blues successfully overturned an NHL-record-tying three goals via challenges. That kept the damage to a minimum on Hofer, who took just his second defeat since the Olympic break (5-1-1) while posting another strong outing. He's now at a 17-11-5 record with a 2.65 GAA and a .908 save percentage through 37 appearances. Hofer was starting two of every three games earlier in March, but the Blues have switched back to alternating starts between him and Jordan Binnington. That likely means Binnington will close out the road trip Saturday in Vancouver while Hofer draws the Capitals on Tuesday at home.

Zary scored a goal on four shots in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win over the Blues.

Zary had the only goal that counted for the Flames -- three others were overturned after reviews. The 24-year-old snapped a 10-game point drought with the tally. In that span, he went minus-8 with 10 shots on net and seven hits. Zary is at 11 goals, 24 points, 99 shots on net, 41 hits and a minus-11 rating over 66 appearances in what's been a challenging campaign on offense.

Cooley stopped 26 of 27 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win over the Blues.

Cooley had lost his last four results, giving up 15 goals over five appearances in that span. The 28-year-old netminder was dialed in for this contest, allowing just a Dylan Holloway tally in the second period. Cooley is up to 8-9-4 with a 2.47 GAA and a .916 save percentage across 25 appearances while operating in the backup role behind Dustin Wolf this season. Expect Wolf to get the nod Friday versus the Panthers, but Cooley has played at least once every three games over the last two months.

Connors scored two goals in AHL Ontario's 3-1 win over Abbotsford on Wednesday.

Connors snapped a 16-game goal drought at the AHL level with a first-period tally and added an empty-netter in the third. The 23-year-old is up to 11 goals, 32 points, 96 shots on net and a plus-16 rating through 54 appearances this season. He also made his NHL debut earlier this month, picking up five shots on net and three hits over two contests.

Wilson scored a goal in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Senators.

Wilson gave the Capitals a transitory 2-0 lead late in the second period with a snap shot at the 18:13 mark. The 31-year-old winger ended his three-game goal drought. He has only two goals in nine outings since returning from the Olympics, but he has added 20 shots on net and 23 hits over that span.

Ovechkin scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Senators.

Ovechkin opened the scoring in the second period with his 25th marker of the season, ending his six-game goal slump. The star winger amassed 18 shots on net and one assist during his goal-scoring skid. Ovechkin has 52 points, 197 shots on net and 113 hits across 69 contests this season.

Thompson stopped 34 of 35 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Senators.

Thompson had previously won just one game over his last five outings despite posting a solid 2.61 GAA in that stretch. The 29-year-old was excellent throughout Wednesday's contest, and while the final score looked like a comfortable win for Washington, the game certainly wasn't as such. Thompson might be on the verge of turning things around if he gets more offensive support. He's allowed just three goals on 69 shots over his last two appearances.

Stutzle scored a goal in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Capitals.

Stutzle saw his 14-game point streak end abruptly in the 2-0 loss to the Ducks on March 14, but after going pointless in just two games, the 24-year-old once again left his mark on offense for Ottawa. Stutzle is up to 31 goals and 71 points across 67 appearances this season, and he should remain a key contributor for Ottawa both in even-strength and power-play situations.

Ullmark stopped 21 of 23 shots in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Capitals. The final two goals of the game were empty-netters.

Ullmark entered the matchup with a 4-1-0 record and an .892 save percentage over five games, but he was unable to continue his solid run of play against a Capitals offense that had been struggling in recent weeks. The fact that he only allowed two of Washington's four goals should help offset some of the fantasy backlash from the loss, though he has still allowed three or more goals in three of his last five outings. The Senators will play the second leg of a back-to-back set Thursday against the Islanders, so Ullmark could return to the action Saturday against the Maple Leafs if he gets some rest against New York.

Barre-Boulet scored twice and added an assist in AHL Colorado's 5-1 win over San Diego on Wednesday.

Barre-Boulet has five goals and three assists during a five-game point streak. He crossed the 60-point mark with this effort -- he's at 22 goals and 40 assists through 59 AHL appearances this season. He's topped the 60-point mark five times in his eight seasons in the AHL.