NHL News
Samuel Ersson Faces Wild On Saturday
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson will make his 13th start of the campaign in Saturday's matchup against Minnesota. Ersson has lost a lot of time to injury this season but has been solid for the Flyers when healthy. He's lost only one of his last four starts in regulation and has a 6-3-2 record for the season. Ersson's goals-against average stands at 2.85, and he's registered a .893 save percentage with one shutout. Saturday's matchup will be a stern test for Ersson, as the Wild have proven to be one of the best teams in the league this season and score 3.14 goals per game.
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Marc-Andre Fleury In Wild Net For Saturday's Matchup
Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will guard the crease on Saturday against Philadelphia. The veteran makes only his eighth start of the campaign. Things have gone very well for Fleury so far, as he's coasted to a 5-1-1 record. Fleury has allowed 2.72 goals with a .905 save percentage. The Flyers are among 13 teams not to average at least three goals per game for the season, and it's a matchup that's brought Fleury a lot of success throughout the years. He has a 32-19-4 career record against Philadelphia, having beaten only the Rangers more times. We should see Filip Gustavsson back between the sticks when Minnesota closes out its back-to-back set against Vegas on Sunday.
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Linus Ullmark Records 10th Career Shutout
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark registered a fourth consecutive win with a 32-save shutout in Friday's 3-0 victory over Carolina. It was his second shutout of the campaign and his 10th career shutout. Ullmark had some struggles with his new team early in the season, but he's been back to his Vezina-winning form lately, going 5-0-1 across his last six starts. The Swedish netminder has allowed just three total goals across his last four appearances. The recent improvement in Ullmark's play has improved his record to 9-7-2. He has allowed 2.52 goals with a .909 save percentage. We'll likely see Anton Forsberg in the Senators net for Saturday's matchup against Pittsburgh, with Ullmark returning to the crease Tuesday night versus Seattle.
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Nick Jensen Continues Prolific Month In Friday's Win
Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen scored a goal and bagged an assist as the team took down Carolina 3-0 on Friday night. Jensen's work helped Shane Pinto start the scoring early in the second period, and he then popped up with a goal himself with 5:15 remaining in regulation. This was the second multi-point performance of the season for Jensen, who's been quietly effective on the Senators blue line with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) and a team-best plus-15 rating in 29 outings. Five of his points (one goal, four assists) have come in six December appearances. Jensen also boasts 31 blocks and 34 hits for the campaign, so he's chipping in at both ends during his first season in Canada.
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Shane Pinto Ends Dry Spell With Two-Goal Effort
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto potted two goals in Friday's impressive 3-0 win on the road against Carolina. He logged the game's first goal with 4:04 played in the second period and wrapped up the scoring with an empty-netter inside the final minute of play. Pinto entered the action with only one goal for the campaign, which came in the season opener against Florida on Oct. 10. He had been without a point since Oct. 19. The 24-year-old now has five points (three goals, two assists) in 21 appearances for the season. It's been a massively disappointing campaign for Pinto, who averaged 0.66 points a season ago. He's stuck in a third-line role but sees regular power-play action, so you would expect Pinto to produce offense much more consistently.
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Evan Bouchard A Game-Time Call On Saturday
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (lower body) is considered a game-time call for Saturday's meeting with Vegas. He suffered a lower-body injury near the end of Thursday's battle against Minnesota and didn't hit the ice for practice on Friday. Bouchard finished Thursday's 7-1 win with two assists to jump to 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) for the season. In 29 games, he's fired off 70 shots and boasts 46 blocks, which ranks Bouchard second on the team. Alec Regula, who was waived by Boston earlier in the week, is expected to take Bouchard's spot in the lineup if he isn't available for Saturday's game. Darnell Nurse figures to be Bouchard's replacement on the first power-play unit.
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Alec Martinez Added To Injured Reserve
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez (neck) has been placed on Injured Reserve, retroactive to Dec. 7. He has missed two games due to a neck injury. Martinez's health has been an issue all season for the Blackhawks, as the veteran defenseman has been limited to 15 appearances. He has recorded four points (one goal, three assists), 15 shots, and 38 blocks. In a corresponding move, the Blackhawks recalled Frank Nazar from the AHL. The 20-year-old forward is getting rewarded for showing off hot form. Nazard is among the AHL's top scorers with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games. He practiced on the second line Friday.
16 hours ago
Anthony Stolarz Day-To-Day With A Lower-Body Injury
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) has been labeled as day-to-day. The 30-year-old sustained a lower-body injury in Thursday's 3-2 win against Anaheim. Stolarz has been solid for the Maple Leafs this season, going 9-5-2 in 17 starts and allowing 2.15 goals with a .927 save percentage and one shutout. The timing of his injury is bad because the Maple Leafs face a back-to-back over the weekend. Dennis Hildeby has been brought up from the AHL to prove cover for Joseph Woll, who might start both of the upcoming games. Woll, who replaced Stolarz in the second period on Thursday, has impressed with an 8-3-0 record this campaign. He's recorded one shutout while allowing 2.16 goals with a .921 save percentage.
16 hours ago
K'Andre Miller Placed On Injured Reserve
New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller (upper body) has landed on Injured Reserve. He was hurt in Wednesday's battle against Buffalo and appears set for a spell on the sidelines. The Rangers will be back at work on Saturday versus Los Angeles. Miller has produced six points (two goals, four assists) in 28 games this season with 42 shots, 40 blocks, and 55 hits. Connor Mackey is expected to fill in for Miller on the second defensive pairing. In 40 NHL career games, Mackey has recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists), 40 shots, 33 blocks, and 74 hits.
16 hours ago
Dan Vladar Considered Day-To-Day
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar (lower body) is considered day-to-day. He didn't practice on Friday and might have already been affected by the injury in Thursday's matchup against Tampa Bay, as Vladar had a torrid time with eight goals allowed on 26 shots. Vladar is sharing starts with Dustin Wolf this season and has gone 6-6-4 with two shutouts. He has allowed 3.08 goals with a .885 save percentage. Devin Cooley has been brought up from the minors to fill in for Vladar. He owns a 2-3-1 career record in the NHL.
16 hours ago
Cam Talbot Re-Aggravates Lower-Body Injury
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot (lower body) will not be available Saturday against Toronto. Talbot returned from a lower-body injury in Thursday's 4-1 loss to Philadelphia, stopping 32 of 34 shots, but he re-aggravated the injury in Friday's practice. Thursday's loss dropped Talbot's record to 6-6-2. Alex Lyon (lower body) also remains out this weekend, which puts Ville Husso in the spotlight again. He's yet to register a victory this season, going 0-4-2 with a 3.74 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.
16 hours ago
Matt Dumba To Remain Out On Saturday
Dallas Stars defenseman Matt Dumba (upper body) will miss a second straight game on Saturday versus St. Louis. He might be out for a few more games after the weekend as well, with Stars head coach Peter DeBoer noting that Dumba is "not week-to-week but not day-to-day," Dumba has zero fantasy value these days, as he's only recorded one assist in 19 games this season. Lian Bichsel entered the lineup in Dumba's absence on Thursday versus Nashville and scored in his NHL debut. He also recorded a game-high five hits and two shots with two penalty minutes in 15:46 of ice time.
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Linus Ullmark Seeks Fourth Straight Win Friday
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark will make his 18th start of the season in Friday's matchup against Carolina. The 31-year-old faces a difficult challenge against a team that has the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference and scores 3.71 goals per game, but Ullmark enters the action in good form. He has won three starts in a row and hasn't suffered a single regulation loss in his last five appearances. Ullmark has taken his record to 8-7-2, allowing 2.70 goals with a .903 save percentage and one shutout. Carolina has suffered only three home defeats this season, but two of them have come in the past four games.
17 hours ago
Kevin Lankinen Frustrates Panthers With Shutout Performance
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen became the third netminder in the league with three-plus shutouts for the season when he kept the Florida Panthers off the scoreboard with 27 saves in Thursday's 4-0 win. Lankinen did most of the work in the second frame, stopping 13 pucks. The Finnish netminder continues to impress this season and is now tied for the second-most wins in the league, sitting on a 14-4-3 record. He has allowed 2.52 goals with a .912 save percentage. Lankinen's good play should secure him regular action for the rest of the way, even with Thatcher Demko back in the fold.
Yesterday
Nikita Kucherov Racks Up Six Points Against Flames
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov was unstoppable on Thursday against the Calgary Flames, registering a goal and five assists. He was involved in each of the team's first four goals and finished the night with three power-play points. Jake Guentzel bagged a hat trick, and Brayden Points tallied four points while playing next to Kucherov, who became the first player in franchise history with multiple six-point efforts. Kucherov's tally of five assists matches Tampa Bay's record. Teams have naturalized Kucherov just three times all season, allowing him to rack up 14 goals and 44 points in 25 contests. He's second in the league in scoring behind Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon.
Yesterday
Leon Draisaitl Continues Multi-Point Streak Versus Wild
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl remained red-hot in Thursday's matchup against Minnesota, leading the way with four points in a 7-1 win. He completed the contest with a goal and three assists, picking up two of his helpers with the man advantage. This was a fourth consecutive multi-point game for Draisaitl, who became the seventh player in the league to hit the 40-point mark this season. The German star boasts a league-high 21 goals and 21 assists. In his past 15 appearances, Draisaitl has finished with multiple points 11 times and has been held off the score sheet on only three occasions, so his current form is something really special.
Yesterday
Bryan Rust Tallies Four Points In Big Win
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust enjoyed a highly productive night against Montreal on Thursday, finishing a 9-2 road victory with his sixth career hat trick and an assist. Rust did all the work in even-strength situations, feasting next to Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby, who combined for seven points on Pittsburgh's top line. The three have worked very well lately, giving Rust eight points (five goals, three assists) across five December appearances. Rakell leads the team in goals, with Rust right behind him on 12 markers. The veteran winger has also had eight assists in 20 contests this season.
Yesterday
Scott Laughton Ties Flyers Record With Four-Goal Performance
Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton was a one-man show against Detroit on Thursday, scoring all of his team's goals in a 4-1 win. He tied the franchise record with the effort, becoming the 10th player in Flyers history to score four goals in a single contest. John LeClair was the last one to do it in 2002. Laughton was busy in front of the net all game, recording nine shots on goal. He had one short-handed goal and two goals with the Red Wings net empty. Laughton entered Thursday's action with only three goals for the season, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect a similar performance from him anytime soon. But it was a memorable night for Laughton, who has amassed 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 30 games over the course of the season.
Yesterday
Ryan O'Reilly Returns With Three-Point Effort
Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly rejoined the lineup and had a great game in Thursday's 4-1 victory at Dallas. He was involved in three goals, lightning the lamp twice and recording one assist. The veteran forward had missed the previous three games with a lower-body injury. O'Reilly's productivity has been disappointing this season, but it hasn't been easy for him on a struggling team. Through 27 outings, O'Reilly is sporting 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists). Most of his points (8) came in October, so there have been some really dark times for O'Reilly in the last couple of months, but he'll have some momentum following Thursday's impressive performance.
Yesterday
Victor Hedman Day-To-Day With A Lower-Body Injury
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (lower body) is considered day-to-day. The former Norris Trophy winner was a late scratch for Thursday's matchup against Calgary. Hedman's role can not be underestimated on this Tampa Bay team. He's among the league's most productive defensemen offensively, with 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 26 outings, and ranks second on the team with 47 blocks. Steven Santini played instead of Hedman on Thursday, with the entire blue line putting in extra work. Janis Moser (undisclosed) was also lost during the contest, making things even more difficult for Tampa Bay in defense. Ryan McDonagh and Darren Raddysh soaked in the most action among the Lightning blue-liners, with the latter logging four minutes of power-play time.
Yesterday
Samuel Ersson
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