Player news from trusted outlets
Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson will protect the home net against the Kings on Tuesday. Gibson is on an impressive run, winning his last eight outings while stopping 210 of 224 shots. This season, he holds a 21-9-1 record with a 2.62 GAA, a .906 save percentage, and three shutouts through 32 appearances. The Kings are tied for 28th in the league with 2.60 goals per game this season.
Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo will defend the road crease against the Rangers on Monday. Korpisalo has been strong since the start of the calendar year, posting a 4-0-0 record with a 1.42 GAA and .948 save percentage over his last five outings. Despite the Rangers' low scoring (2.63 goals per game), Korpisalo previously struggled against them on Nov. 28, allowing five goals on 36 shots in a 6-2 loss.
Edmonton Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed) will return to the lineup Monday against the Ducks after missing three games. The 29-year-old is expected to reclaim a top-six role, which will result in Andrew Mangiapane being a healthy scratch. In his last eight outings before injury, Kapanen recorded three goals, four assists, and 19 shots.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (lower body) participated in Monday's morning skate, indicating he is nearing a return to the lineup. He will miss his sixth consecutive game when the Flyers host the Islanders, as the team opts to give the 28-year-old additional recovery time before activating him from injured reserve. This season, Vladar has posted a 16-7-4 record with a 2.46 GAA and a .905 save percentage across 28 appearances.
Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins' anticipated return from illness to start Monday's game against the Kings has been postponed due to severe winter weather. The game is rescheduled for March 9. Merzlikins, who had served as backup for two games, was confirmed as the starter prior to the postponement. He holds an 8-8-1 record with a 3.81 GAA and .882 SV% across 18 appearances this campaign. His next start, against the Flyers on Wednesday, remains uncertain.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper and his team will not face the Blue Jackets on Monday as the game was postponed due to severe weather. The Kings were already practicing when the news broke. This postponement means the team avoids a back-to-back, making Kuemper a likely candidate to start in net on the road against Detroit on Tuesday, though official confirmation is pending.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry will protect the home net against Anaheim on Monday. Since returning from a lower-body injury, Jarry has posted a 2-2-1 record in five appearances, allowing 14 goals on 113 shots. This season, across 22 appearances for Edmonton and Pittsburgh, he holds a combined 14-5-2 record with a 2.82 GAA, a .900 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson will draw the home start against the Islanders on Monday, confirmed by being the first goalie off during morning skate. He has posted mixed results over his last four starts, with a 2-1-1 record, 3.08 GAA, and .893 save percentage. In two previous starts against the Islanders this season, Ersson recorded a 2.77 GAA and .895 save percentage, both resulting in shootout victories.
The duality of mankind was on display at the Scotiabank Centre for the star forward's reunion, marking a significant moment during his return home to Toronto.
Rookie Beckett Sennecke achieved his first NHL career hat trick with the overtime winner at 2:54 in Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. This performance ended a five-game goal drought and a three-game point slump for the 19-year-old. Sennecke now leads all rookies with 18 goals and has 41 points in 52 games. He also scored on a 2-on-1 in overtime, snapping a shot past Dustin Wolf for the game-winner.
Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot scored his first two goals of the season, tripling his career output, in Florida's 5-1 win over Chicago. This marked his first two-goal game in seven NHL seasons and 139 career games. Mackie Samoskevich and Carter Verhaeghe also scored, and Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter. Daniil Tarasov made 19 saves for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel scored two goals on five shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Canucks, snapping a 19-game goal drought. His second tally stood as the game-winner. The 18-year-old rookie now has 10 goals and 22 points in 48 appearances. Kindel's homecoming game saw him score twice, delighting a large contingent of family and friends in attendance, and he also redirected a puck from in tight for his first goal in 19 games.
Chris Kreider also scored for the Anaheim Ducks in their 4-3 overtime victory against the Calgary Flames. The Ducks extended their winning streak to seven games with the win. Kreider's goal helped tie the game at 13:08 in the third period, forcing overtime.
Dustin Wolf is confirmed to start in net for the Calgary Flames on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. Wolf has been alternating starts with Devin Cooley. The 24-year-old goalie has a 15-20-2 record with a 3.00 GAA and an .897 save percentage. He has allowed four or more goals in six of his seven January starts and will face a Ducks team on a six-game winning streak.
Mackie Samoskevich scored to put Florida back ahead 2-1 early in the third period of their 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. His shot from the slot slipped under Knight's arm and trickled over the goal line, sparking a four-goal third period for the Panthers.
Sam Reinhart scored an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining in the third period of the Florida Panthers' 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. This goal sealed the victory for the Panthers, who were securing their third straight win.
Carter Verhaeghe had two assists in the Florida Panthers' 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He also provided the feed for Tobias Bjornfot's second goal late in the third period. Verhaeghe's contributions helped the Panthers secure their third consecutive win.
Florida Panthers' Daniil Tarasov is set to start Sunday's game against the Blackhawks, marking his second straight start in a back-to-back. The 26-year-old netminder holds a 7-6-2 record with a 2.63 GAA and .906 SV%, aiming to extend his personal three-game winning streak. He faces a Blackhawks team ranked 26th in the NHL for goals per game.
A hit to the head on Canucks forward Brock Boeser overshadowed Vancouver's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Coach Adam Foote stated he has no update yet but called it a 'pretty vicious hit to the head.' Boeser was slow to get up after the third-period incident. He has six points in his last five games against Vancouver.
Defenseman Adam Fox has continued skating on his own, but head coach Mike Sullivan does not expect his return to practice with the team to be 'imminent.' Fox has been on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury since Jan. 5 and is not eligible to return until Jan. 31. His absence has impacted the Rangers' top defensive pairing and power play.
