NHL Player News

Merzlikins made 16 saves in a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He put up an assist.

Merzlikins was sharp all night. He had no chance on the first goal, which was a sharp tip over his left shoulder. The second came through a screen off a point shot. Merzlikins and Jet Greaves have been pretty much alternating starts since the end of January. If that pattern continues, Greaves will see time against Florida on Thursday, and Merzlikins will be in net Saturday. Wait for the official update Thursday before setting your daily roster.

Eichel scored a goal on four shots and added two PIM in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Stars.

Eichel has scored in consecutive contests and has a point in four of the last five games. He opened the scoring Tuesday, but the Golden Knights were unable to solve Jake Oettinger again. Eichel is up to 23 goals, 72 points, 208 shots on net and a plus-13 rating over 57 appearances this season. A late surge could allow him to get to the 30-goal mark for the third time in his career, but it's far from a lock to happen.

Hill stopped 14 of 16 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Stars.

Hill has now lost three of his last four outings, allowing 13 goals on 82 shots in that span. The 29-year-old netminder gave up both goals Tuesday in a span of 3:35 during the second period. Hill dropped to 6-6-3 with a 3.32 GAA and an .859 save percentage through 17 starts this season. Usually, playing in Vegas is enough to make a goalie intriguing in fantasy, but Hill's failing to rack up wins, and the team's tight defense is suppressing his save percentage. The Golden Knights' next game is Thursday versus the Penguins, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Akira Schmid start that contest.

Back scored a goal in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Golden Knights.

Back ended a 14-game goal drought when he tied the game at 1-1 in the middle of the second period. The 25-year-old has a goal and an assist over his last two outings, so he's starting to chip in a bit more from the fourth line. He's at five goals, 10 points, 29 shots on net, 29 blocked shots, 21 hits and a plus-6 rating over 54 appearances, making it unlikely he'll be a consistent depth scorer.

Benn scored a power-play goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Golden Knights.

Benn continues to play well in March -- he has three goals and an assist over five games this month. His tally Tuesday ended up being the game-winning goal. The 36-year-old is up to 12 goals, 27 points (four on the power play), 54 shots on net, 58 hits, 27 PIM and a plus-11 rating over 42 appearances. Benn is likely to remain in a more prominent role while the Stars are missing Mikko Rantanen (lower body) and Roope Hintz (lower body).

Oettinger stopped 26 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Golden Knights.

Oettinger saw his eight-game winning streak end versus the Avalanche on Friday, but he bounced right back in a tough matchup. Jack Eichel's goal early in the second period was all Oettinger allowed in this contest. The 27-year-old netminder improved to 26-10-5 with a 2.65 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 41 appearances this season. The schedule's not getting any easier, though -- the Stars' next game is Thursday at home versus the Oilers.

Monahan delivered two assists in a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Monahan has six points in his last six games (two goals, four assists; 19 shots); he put up points in five of those six. It was his first two-point game since Jan. 8. Monahan's leadership is helping the team climb the standings; they are just two points out of a wild-card spot.

Werenski tallied two assists in a 5-2 win over the Lightning on Tuesday.

Both apples came on the power play. Werenski has three assists in his last two games; all three have come with the man advantage. The defender leads the Blue Jackets with 68 points (20 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games. He's second in the NHL in scoring from the blue line, but what makes his output this season even more impressive is that Werenski started the season with just four points (one goal, three assists) in his first eight games. His point-per-game production (1.19) is the NHL's best from the back end.

Emberson (undisclosed) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Avalanche, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

Emberson had two hits in 5:35 of ice time, but it's not exactly clear when he was injured. If he can't play Thursday versus the Stars, Spencer Stastney will likely get back into the lineup.

Marchenko scored a power-play goal Tuesday in a 5-2 win over the Lightning.

He buried a one-timer from the left circle past Andrei Vasilevskiy's blocker to put the Blue Jackets up 3-1. His goal stood as the winner. Marchenko's point streak stands at six games and nine points (four goals, five assists). He has at least one point in 11 of his last 12 games (six goals, nine assists; 30 shots). Marchenko leads Columbus with 24 goals and sits second in points (56) behind Zach Werenski (68).