NHL Player News

Girard missed practice Friday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury.

Girard appears to have been injured in his Penguins debut against the Devils on Thursday. In that outing, the 27-year-old defenseman made four blocks, which may have resulted in his injury. If Girard does miss any time, it will open up a spot in the lineup for Ryan Graves or Ilya Solovyov.

Schmid will defend the road crease against Washington on Friday, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

Schmid competed for Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and he'll make his first start following the NHL layoff Friday. Across nine appearances for the Golden Knights since the start of the calendar year, he's gone 5-2-2 with a 2.59 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Malkin notched two assists, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

The 39-year-old stepped up in the absence of Sidney Crosby (lower body), having a hand in tallies by Thomas Novak in the first period and Yegor Chinakhov in the third. Malkin has gotten onto the scoresheet in 11 of the last 13 games, racking up four goals and 15 points over that stretch, and he's now just eight points away from 1,400 for his career.

Silovs turned aside 29 shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

A Dougie Hamilton blast from the blue line deflected past Silovs off Paul Cotter early in the second period, but otherwise the 24-year-old netminder shut down the New Jersey offense. Silovs has just one regulation loss in his last seven starts dating back to Jan. 13, going 4-1-2 with a dazzling 1.98 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Markstrom stopped 33 of 36 shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins' final goal getting scored into an empty net.

The game was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but goals 50 seconds apart by Connor Clifton and Yegor Chinakhov early in the frame ended the Devils' hopes. Markstrom has lost three of his last four starts dating back to Jan. 25, and since the beginning of January he's gone 6-5-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .884 save percentage.

Dobson scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.

Facing his former team for the first time, Dobson gave the Habs a 2-0 lead with tallies in the first and second periods, but the ice tilted in New York's favor the rest of the way. The 26-year-old blueliner extended his point streak to six games in the process, a stretch in which he's produced three goals and nine points, and on the season Dobson's delivered 12 goals and 40 points in 58 contests.

Montembeault made 22 saves in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.

Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had the netminder's number in the second period, wiring home two goals in a 55-second span, but it was Jean-Gabriel Pageau who ended the night by slipping the puck through Montembeault's five-hole on a clear break in OT. Montembeault has given up three or more goals in five of his last six starts dating back to Jan. 13, going 2-2-2 over that stretch with a 3.32 GAA and .886 save percentage.

Holmstrom picked up two assists in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over Montreal.

The 24-year-old winger had a hand in the Islanders' final two goals of the night, including Jean-Gabriel Pageau's OT winner. Holmstrom has stepped up his production in a middle-six role since the calendar flipped to 2026, and over his last 16 games he's delivered five goals and 13 points.

Schaefer scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.

With the Islanders down 2-0 midway through the second period, Schaefer took matters into his own hands to tie it up, scoring twice in 55 seconds before the second intermission. The teenage blueliner has lit the lamp five times in the last six games, and on the season the overwhelming Calder Trophy favorite has 18 goals and 41 points in his first 59 NHL contests -- setting a new Islanders record for goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in the process, and breaking the mark established in 1973-74 by Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.

Benson (upper body) will be a game-time decision in Florida on Friday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.

While head coach Lindy Ruff hasn't ruled out Benson against the Panthers, it seems more likely that he will suit up Saturday in Tampa Bay. Benson has missed three games with the injury. He has seven goals and 19 assists in 42 appearances this season.