Sharks' Yaroslav Askarov: Pulled before first intermission

Askarov gave up four goals on 12 shots before he was replaced by Alex Nedeljkovic in the first period of Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Capitals.

It's the second time in four outings that Askarov has received an early hook. Brandon Duhaime's shorthanded tally was the final goal Askarov gave up in Wednesday's outing. He still ended up with the loss, falling to 10-7-1 with a 3.15 GAA and a .905 save percentage through 18 starts this season. After looking nearly invincible in early November, the 23-year-old netminder might be safer to use in favorable matchups in fantasy. He'll be a risky option if he gets the start Friday in Dallas as the Sharks begin a five-game road trip.