New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov had a perfect night at the office Sunday against Chicago, posting a 21-save shutout in a 3-0 win. It's his first shutout of the campaign and the 12th of his career with the club. Only four goaltenders in franchise history have managed more. The Islanders' goalie situation has been intriguing over the last couple of seasons, with Ilya Sorokin arriving from the KHL. Varlamov was clearly outplayed by his younger compatriot last season, but both have played well in 2022-23, and it's likely causing fantasy managers headaches. Varlamov improved to 6-3-0 on Sunday and Sorokin is 10-7-0. He has dropped his last two decisions despite giving up only two goals on both occasions, while Varlamov's recent form includes a 4-1-0 record.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin enjoyed his eighth multi-point outing of the season on Sunday, registering a pair of power-play assists in a 6-3 win over the Sharks. In 20:47 of ice time, he added one shot and one hit with a plus-one rating. Dahlin sits second among all defensemen in multi-point games this season, with only San Jose's Erik Karlsson ahead of him with 10 such outings. Karlsson is also the only man ahead of Dahlin on the defensemen scoring list. It's been a massive year for the rising star with 29 points in 24 games. Dahlin's work has also included 79 shots, 40 hits and 42 blocks, and he's carrying a solid plus-10 rating.
Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn recorded his second multi-goal outing of the year Sunday, striking twice in a 6-3 victory over San Jose. He ended up logging the game-winning goal on a power play and also struck once in an even-strength situation. These were his only shots on goal in 16:25 of action and he was plus-two for the night with one hit. Quinn had some frustrating times last month when he was a healthy scratch for a few games, but he has come back strongly and has grabbed five points in his past four appearances. The 21-year-old has received a boost in playing time, and it looks like it's all finally starting to come together for Quinn after he showed a lot of promise during preseason. He is now on six goals and eight assists with 20 games played.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner was the set-up man on both of the team's goals in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Detroit. He helped Marcus Bjork to score in a power-play situation and tallied an even-strength assist on Kent Johnson's sixth goal of the season. Jenner led all forwards with 22:27 of ice time and completed his line with four shots and a plus-one rating. The 29-year-old has now registered three multi-point efforts in his past nine games, and he's having a good season overall, boasting nine goals and nine assists in 23 appearances. Jenner finds himself in a dream situation, as he centers the first line that has elite wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine on it. The trio will try to figure out how to damage to Penguins next.
Detroit Red Wings right wing David Perron recorded two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-2 win over Columbus. He helped Dominik Kubalik and Lucas Raymond to score, combining with Filip Hronek on both goals. The veteran winger added four shots to his line in 17:18 of ice time and had two penalty minutes in the game. The 34-year-old has enjoyed good form over the last couple of weeks, tallying 11 points in his past 10 appearances, and he has managed 19 points overall for the season in 24 games. Perron isn't among the elite wingers in the league, but he's a fairly consistent scorer and you always know what you are going to get with him.
Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor delivered two assists as the team beat Anaheim 5-2 on Sunday. He set up Dylan Samberg for a game-tying goal after the Ducks had jumped to a 2-0 lead and Connor also grabbed a power-play assist on a late Nate Schmidt strike. The 25-year-old managed one shot on goal himself and couldn't register any other stats in 18:35 of ice time. This season has been a strange one for Connor, as he is averaging a point per game through 23 outings, but he has logged a minus-four rating. Connor even had a minus-three nightmare against Columbus Friday. With matchups against Florida and St. Louis coming up, the rough ride could continue for Connor.
Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski bagged three assists in Sunday's high-scoring 6-5 loss to Minnesota. All of his helpers came during a 10-minute stretch in the third period when the Stars managed to erase a four-goal deficit. He was also a busy man on the defensive end of things, blocking three shots and handing out two hits in 18:59 of ice time. It was a rough defensive performance from the team, but Pavelski managed to complete the game with a plus-one rating and he also had two shots. The veteran has now delivered six multi-point performances since the start of last month, boosting his numbers for the year to 10 goals and 18 assists. The first line with him, Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz looks unstoppable right now, and they will hope to stay hot Tuesday versus Toronto.
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz had an outstanding performance in Sunday's 6-5 shootout loss to Minnesota, finishing the contest with a hat trick and one assist. Hintz collected three of his points in the third period when Dallas was able to force overtime despite falling 5-1 behind. The Finnish forward closed out November with a three-game point drought, but he has quickly regained his form after signing a nice eight-year extension with the club, as Hintz's two December outings have included three goals and three assists. He is now just one assist short of becoming the eighth player in the league this season with 10-plus goals and 20-plus assists. Hintz will head into his 25th appearance of the campaign Tuesday versus Toronto with 11 goals and 19 assists.
Los Angeles Kings left wing Alex Iafallo (lower body) is on the cusp of returning to the lineup. He's expected to make his comeback during the team's upcoming six-game road trip. Iafallo has been out of action with a lower-body injury since Oct. 17. He had a hot start to the year before getting hurt, notching two goals and three assists in the first four games of the season. Iafallo has been practicing on the third line with Adrian Kempe and Gabriel Vilardi, who are both among the team's top goal-scorers this season, so he is going to make his return in a pretty nice position. The trip starts Tuesday in Ottawa and it's not out of the question that Iafallo will already join the lineup then.
Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary (upper body) will miss Monday's contest against Edmonton. He was injured in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Calgary and the next game comes too soon for him to be ready. Fehervary is a big defensive presence for the Capitals, with 83 hits and 39 blocks to his name in 26 games, and he's even chipped in offensively in recent games, scoring in back-to-back outings prior to Saturday's action. Matt Irwin looks set to replace him in the lineup. The 35-year-old should remain on the waiver wire, as he has gone scoreless in 16 outings this season. Fehervary shouldn't be out for long either, as he is considered day-to-day by the team.
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