NHL Hockey Player News

After winning four straight starts, Jarry has dropped his last two but will look to return to the win column as the Penguins' starter on Wednesday. Jarry has been solid this season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV% through 13 games (6-7-0), but has had very little room for failure as all but one of his victories have required him to register a save percentage of .923 or better. The Penguins are slight -103 home underdogs on Wednesday against a New York Rangers team coming off their first regulation loss in 12 games (10-1-1).

Igor Shesterkin has struggled in two games (1-1-0) since returning from a lower-body injury, allowing seven goals on 67 shots (.896 SV%), so the Rangers will likely turn to their veteran backup Quick Wednesday against their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Quick has proved skeptics wrong early this season, posting a 1.98 GAA and .928 SV% through six appearances (4-0-1), numbers that rival the best posted in any single season over his 17-year career. It is unlikely that Quick maintains these gaudy totals, but the Rangers, who have points in 11 of their last 12 games (10-1-1), are facing a Penguins team that will be without two of their top-six forwards, Rickard Rakell (upper-body) and Bryan Rust (lower-body).

Rust will miss Wednesday vs. the New York Rangers after it was announced he was day-to-day with a lower-body injury. If he is forced to miss an extedned chunk of time it would be a shame as the 31-year-old winger is on pace for career highs in almost all categories as he has nine goals, seven assists, 55 SOG, and a +10 plus/minus through 17 games played.

The Sabres currently have a three-headed goalie carousel as Levi, Eric Comrie, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have each started a contest in the last week. Levi started the season as the favourite in between the pipes for the Sabres, but the team has opted to rotate starts since Levi has had difficulties acclimating to the NHL, posting a 3.65 GAA and .881 SV% through seven games (3-4-0). The Sabres are slight +111 road underdogs against a Washington Capitals team that has won four straight but will be starting Darcy Kuemper, who has not played since November 8th and has allowed three or more goals in five of his last seven appearances (2-3-2).

Skinner served as the backup for the first time since Jack Campbell was demoted to Bakersfield (AHL) earlier this month as Calvin Pickard started for the Oilers but was unsuccessful, allowing four goals on 31 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. In his last contest, Skinner allowed five goals on 23 shots (.783 SV%) in a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning but was stellar in his three games prior (3-0-0), allowing only five goals on 86 shots (.942 SV%). The Oilers are +125 road underdogs on Wednesday against a Carolina Hurricanes team that is mid-pack in the league offensively (3.24 GF / GP) and defensively (3.18 GA / GP) and is fourth in the Metropolitan division with a 10-7-0 record.

Fabbro has two goals, three assists, 19 SOG, six PIMs, and a +4 plus/minus in 16 games played this season but will be the odd man out of the Predators' lineup Wednesday vs. Calgary. The 25-year-old defenseman will be replaced by Ryan McDonagh (injury) in Nashville's lineup.

Evangelista was a surprising healthy scratch on Monday but will return to the lineup on Wednesday and skate alongside Kiefer Sherwood and Juuso Parssinen on the Predators' second line. Evangelista has nine points (1G / 8A) in 16 games this season, averaging 15:02 time-on-ice.

Staal will play for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on October 19th against the Edmonton Oilers. Louis Belpedio will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday to make room for Staal, who is expected to skate alongside Egor Zamula on the Flyers' third defensive pair.

Hart has been stellar, starting two consecutive games (2-0-0) since a five-game absence due to injury, saving 59 of 63 shots (.937), and will return to the crease on Wednesday against the New York Islanders. Hart has been solid all season, and his .919 SV% and 2.40 GAA currently have him pacing for the best season of his six-year career. The Flyers are +130 road underdogs but are facing an Islanders team that ranks in the bottom half of the league defensively (3.24 GA / GP) after being a top-five team for most of the last decade.

The Jets have won six of their last seven (6-1-0) due largely to Hellebuyck elevating his game recently. Still a far cry from his career-average .916 SV%, Hellebuyck has a .906 SV% in his last five games (4-1-0) after posting only a .891 SV% in his first eight contests this season (4-3-1). The Jets are slight -109 road favourites on Wednesday against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that, despite winning three straight, has allowed four or more goals in six consecutive contests (3-3-0).

Vasilevskiy has not played this season after undergoing back surgery in September. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Vasilevskiy might debut on the team's upcoming road trip, which would be right on cue with his original 8-10-week prognosis. Jonas Johansson has occupied the Lightning crease for the majority of Vasilevskiy's absence and, despite a recent decline in play, will likely continue to see a steady share of action while Vasilevskiy re-acclimates himself to game-action before taking his rightful place as the bonafide starting goalie.

Kostin was in the lineup for the last 10 games for the Red Wings, recording two points (1G / 1A), and will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday as the team will likely dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

A busy schedule for the Panthers has limited Bobrovsky to only two starts in their past four outings, but the team will hope the extra rest will have him at his best on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins. Bobrovsky was heroic in the first round of the playoffs last season and was the main reason the Panthers defeated the Bruins in seven games. Bobrovsky has only lost once in his last seven contests (6-1-0), saving 167 of 184 shots faced (.908 SV%), but was unsuccessful in his only matchup against the Bruins this season, allowing three goals on 26 shots (.885 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime loss on October 30th.

Laine was embarrassed by being a healthy scratched on Sunday by Blue Jackets' head coach Pascal Vincent, who will hope he sparked the Finnish sniper. Before his healthy scratch, Laine was held without a point in four straight games and only three points (2G / 1A) in nine contests this season. He will likely re-enter the Blue Jackets lineup playing on the wing of the second line with Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli.

Merzlikins will attempt to win for the first time since November 2nd as the reeling Blue Jackets, who have lost nine straight (0-7-2), welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite being winless in his last six appearances (0-4-1), Merzlikins has managed to record a save percentage above .900 in four of those contests. The Blue Jackets rank sixth worst in the league offensively (2.68 GF / GP) but are still -139 home favourites against a Blackhawks team that is also struggling amid a four-game skid (0-4-0).

After winning four straight starts, Jarry has dropped his last two but will look to return to the win column as the Penguins' likely starter on Wednesday. Jarry has been solid this season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV% through 13 games (6-7-0), but has had very little room for failure as all but one of his victories have required him to register a save percentage of .923 or better. The Penguins are slight -103 home underdogs on Wednesday against a New York Rangers team coming off their first regulation loss in 12 games (10-1-1).

Johansson has been abysmal lately, but due to a lack of options between the pipes for the Lightning and his ability to still secure victories will likely start again on Wednesday. Johansson has allowed four or more goals in eight of his last nine outings, posting a wretched .867 SV%, but has still salvaged a winning 4-3-2 record. Tampa Bay has even -105 betting odds on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, who have been scoring at an impressive clip, tallying at least five goals in five of their last seven games (6-1-0).