NHL Player News
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Colten Ellis G | BUF
Sabres' Colten Ellis: In concussion protocol
Ellis entered the concussion protocol after exiting Tuesday's game versus the Oilers, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Ellis will be unavailable until he is cleared from the protocol. The 25-year-old goalie could very well miss some time after getting hit in the first period of Tuesday's game. For as long as he's unavailable, the Sabres' crease will be split between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon.
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Alex Lyon G | BUF
Sabres' Alex Lyon: Collects overtime win
Lyon stopped 21 of 24 shots he faced in relief of Colten Ellis (upper body) in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers.
Lyon appeared in relief due to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's poor performance Monday versus the Flames, and Ellis' injury opened the door for Lyon to get on the ice again. This outing saw Lyon earn his first win since Oct. 24 despite blowing a three-goal lead in the third period. The 33-year-old is now 4-6-3 with a 3.22 GAA and an .899 save percentage over 15 appearances. If Ellis misses time, Lyon and Luukkonen will battle for larger shares of playing time. The Sabres' road trip continues Thursday in Vancouver.
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Arturs Silovs G | PIT
Penguins' Arturs Silovs: Heartbreaking loss
Silovs made 26 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks on Tuesday.
The guy simply cannot catch a break. Silovs was 0.1 seconds from a regulation win when Beckett Sennecke shoveled a puck into the net to force OT. His opponent, Ville Husso, put on a 44-save clinic at the other end of the ice. Silovs is 1-3-5 in his last nine starts. Prior to Tuesday, he was pulled in two consecutive games. There is no reason to consider him a fantasy option right now.
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Ville Husso G | ANA
Ducks' Ville Husso: Best player on ice in shootout win
Husso made 44 saves in a 4-3 shootout win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday
Husso was the best player on the ice, making massive stops throughout the game, including several in overtime and the shootout. Beckett Sennecke's record goal with 0.1 seconds left in the third will steal the oxygen, but Husso was the true star. The 30-year-old Husso has won three straight games and is 4-1-0 in December.
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Eric Comrie G | WPG
Jets' Eric Comrie: Another poor outing
Comrie stopped 15 of 19 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Stars.
The Stars went 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Jets failed to convert with the man advantage. Comrie can't take the full blame for this loss, but he was once again just not good enough to get a positive result. He's allowed four goals in back-to-back outings and has given up a total of 14 over his last five games. For the season, he's at a 6-7-1 record with a 3.16 GAA and an .892 save percentage in 14 starts. The Jets sent Thomas Milic to the AHL and recalled Domenic DiVincentiis on Monday, and it's possible they'll give DiVincentiis a look for his NHL debut soon. When that might happen isn't obvious, as the Jets don't have any back-to-back sets over the next week.
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Sam Montembeault G | MON
Canadiens' Sam Montembeault: Appears in relief
Montembeault allowed three goals on 12 shots in relief Tuesday in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning.
Neither Montembeault nor starter Jakub Dobes has been good through November and into December, and the Habs have slipped out of a wild-card spot. Montembeault is 5-6-1 with a 3.65 GAA and an .857 save percentage in 13 starts (15 appearances). Bench him until he rights the proverbial ship.
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Jakub Dobes G | MON
Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Pulled after three-goal first frame
Dobes allowed three goals on 14 shots Tuesday before he was replaced after the first period. The game finished 6-1in favor of Tampa Bay, and he took the loss.
It was the third star of October's fourth start in a row (2-2-0). Sam Montembeault allowed three goals on 12 shots in relief. Dobes has come down from that hot start to the season, and the Canadiens have slipped out of a wild-card spot. How much has he struggled? Dobes was 6-0-0 to start the season, and he made 159 saves, giving up just 12 goals (.930 save percentage). Heading into Tuesday night, he was 4-4-1 with an .865 save percentage with 31 goals allowed (230 shots). However, Montenbeault has been worse (5-6-1 with a 3.61 GAA and an .861 save percentage heading into Tuesday). You need to park both men for now. Yikes.
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Casey DeSmith G | DAL
Stars' Casey DeSmith: Holds on for win
DeSmith stopped 30 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Jets.
The Stars scored all four of their goals within the first five minutes of periods, but the Jets put up a good effort to battle back. DeSmith was able to fend them off in the end, and while he allowed three goals for the second start in a row, he's now won three of his last four outings. For the season, the 34-year-old is at a 7-1-3 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .920 save percentage over 11 starts. He won't displace Jake Oettinger from the No. 1 job when both are healthy, but DeSmith has been one of the more reliable backup netminders in the NHL this season. Look for Oettinger to get the nod Thursday in Minnesota.
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Jonas Johansson G | TB
Lightning's Jonas Johansson: First win in four starts
Johansson made 26 saves Tuesday in a 6-1 win over the Canadiens.
It was his fourth straight start and first win in that span while Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) is out. This time, his mates actually scored to help him out. The Bolts had failed to tap the keg for 130:43. Johansson will remain in the blue paint until Vasy returns, and the former is a solid play as long as his team shows up. He's 6-5-0 with a 2.53 GAA and .907 save percentage overall in 11 starts.
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Colten Ellis G | BUF
Sabres' Colten Ellis: Departs Tuesday's contest
Ellis (upper body) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Oilers.
Ellis drew a penalty in the first period on a collision in the crease. The Sabres cashed in on the power play, but Ellis left after the goal before being ruled out during the second period. Should he miss additional time, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon will handle the goaltending duties.