NHL Hockey Player News

Niemi made 23 saves on 24 shots in the Stars win over the Flames on January 25th. It looks like he will make his fourth straight start after winning two of his last three with a 2.03 GAA and .906 SV%. Niemi will face the Jets in Winnipeg tonight—he has gone 5-5-5 with a 2.85 GAA and .905 SV% on the road this season.

Talbot surrendered three goals on 24 shots in the Oilers loss to the Predators before the All-Star break. He has lost two in a row but finished January at 4-4-1 with a 1.96 GAA and .932 SV%. Tonight he draws a strong matchup against a Blue Jackets team that has gone 4-2-1 in their last seven. Talbot comes in at 3-3-0 in his last six on home ice.

Perreault missed last Tuesday’s game vs. the Coyotes, but will return to the lineup tonight vs. the Stars. Perreault comes into play with 31 points (7G / 24A) in 48 games this season.

Mrazek turned aside 27 of 29 shots in the Red Wings 4-2 win over the Islanders last Monday. Mrazek was excellent in January, going 7-1-1 with a 1.32 GAA, .952 SV% and two shutouts. Mrazek has vaulted himself into the Vezina Trophy conversation, ranking second in the NHL in SV% (.932), third in GAA (2.03), 10th in shutouts (3) and 13th in wins (18). He is a must-start despite drawing a tough matchup vs. the Lightning.

Methot has missed the last five games, but took part in the morning skate and could be back in the lineup tonight. Methot is listed as a game-time decision, so monitor his status during pre-game warmups.

After spending the first four months in the AHL, Lessio will make his Canadiens debut tonight. Less has registered 10 goals and 11 assists (21 points) in 42 games between Springfield and St. John’s (AHL).

Cammalleri will not play on Tuesday and will be out until at least Saturday. With Cammalleri out, Joseph Blandisi will skate on the Devils’ first line.

Moore will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Moore took part in the Devils’ morning skate and said he is ready to go, so expect him to be available for Thursday’s game in Toronto.

Hellebuyck allowed two goals on 34 shots in the Jets win over the Coyotes last Tuesday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Hellebuyck, who will start his 23rd game of the season tonight. In his first start vs. Dallas, Hellebuyck stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss. Hellebuyck comes in at 8-6-0 with a 2.36 GAA and .921 SV% on home ice.

Condon allowed four goals on 24 shots in the Canadiens loss in Columbus on January 25th. Condon has gone 1-4-1 with a 2.81 GAA and .888 SV% in his last six starts, but remains the Canadiens’ best option. Tonight he starts in Philadelphia—Condon is 7-5-2 with a 2.67 GAA and .903 SV% on the road this season.

Lundqvist allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Rangers win over the Sabres on January 25th. Lundqvist has won four of his last five games while posting a 1.94 GAA and .931 SV%. Things are starting to trend in the right direction for Lundqvist, who will face the Devils for the second time this season—he allowed 22 of 24 shots in a 2-1 OT loss in the first meeting.

Dubnyk allowed one goal on 24 shots in the Wild’s loss to the Coyotes on January 25th. Dubnyk has gone 0-4-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .903 SV% in his last five starts and tonight he will make his 39th start of the season. Dubnyk comes into play at 7-8-3 with a 2.43 GAA and .920 SV% on the road this season.

Nash skated on his own on Tuesday, but will not play vs. the Devils. Nash will miss his third straight game and things don’t look great for him playing on Thursday either.

Rinne allowed one goal on 29 shots in the Predators win in Vancouver on January 26th. He was given Wednesday night off before the All-Star break, but is expected to get the nod tonight vs. the Blues. Rinne has had his struggles this season, but has won three in a row while posting a 1.00 GAA and .963 SV%. Tonight he faces a Blues team that has gone 5-2-3 in their last 10.

Umberger has no goals in 32 games this season and has not scored a goal in 50 consecutive regular season games dating back to last season. Umberger will sit with Sean Couturier back in the lineup.

Fleury stopped all 25 shots that he faced in the Penguins shutout win over the Devils last Tuesday. Fleury has won four in a row while posting a 1.75 GAA, .937 SV% and two shutouts. The All-Star break came at a bad time for the red-hot Fleury, who starts his 36th game of the season tonight. Fleury is 12-5-2 with a 2.36 GAA and .922 SV% on home ice this season.

Grubauer stopped all 11 shots that he faced after replacing Braden Holtby in the Capitals loss to the Ranges on January 17th. Grubauer has not played a tonne this season, but has been great when call upon. Grubauer enters play at 5-3-1 with a 2.12 GAA and .925 SV% in eight starts and three relief appearances. He has gone 1-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .923 SV% in two games vs. the Panthers this season.