Hildeby started in net for the third period Thursday and made nine saves in relief of Joseph Woll (lower body). Toronto won the game 5-1.

Starter Joseph Woll left the game after the second period. And with Anthony Stolarz on the shelf with an upper-body injury and with no sign of a return, Hildeby is suddenly the Leafs' starter. He's NHL-ready, but the size of the stage in Toronto is immense and the lights burn and leave scars on even the most resilient.

Knies had a goal and an assist in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Hurricanes.

His goal was a highlight reel snipe. Knies poked the puck away from Shayne Gostisbehere at the Canes' offensive blue line and kept possession after the defender mauled him to the ice at Toronto's offensive blue line. He then fended off Sebastian Aho near the right hash marks before flipping a backhand over Frederik Andersen's glove. Knies' goal came early in the second period, and it made the score 3-1. He has eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last seven games (17 shots) and 28 points, including seven goals, in 24 games. Knies currently sits third on the team scoring list behind William Nylander and John Tavares.

Sorokin stopped 35 shots on 38 attempts on net in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Avalanche.

Sorokin tended a clean first 28 minutes before he allowed back-to-back goals midway through the second period. Outside of one more goal inside the first two minutes of the third period, he cruised to his second consecutive win. With the victory, the 30-year-old netminder is up to a 9-8-2 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.60 GAA through 19 appearances this year. His 35 saves Thursday were one stop shy of his season-high, proving he can help guide the Islanders to a run-and-gun win. After a sluggish start to the season, Sorokin has been on fire in his last nine starts with five wins, a 1.81 GAA and a .932 save percentage. He should be rostered in nearly all two-goalie fantasy formats moving forward with the Isles' just two points out of a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. His next chance to take the ice is Saturday against Tampa Bay, who would welcome the chance to see Sorokin again after he tended a 30-save statement win over the Lightning Tuesday.

McMann scored twice Thursday in a 5-1 win over Carolina.

McMann scored on the Leafs first shot of the game at 0:53 of the first period. He fires a short snap shot from the slot that hit the post, bounced off Frederik Andersen and trickled over the line. He added an empty net goal for good measure. It's McMann's third consecutive two-point game (three goals, three assists; seven shots). He's a valuable daily play in the short term.

Blackwood made 36 saves on 41 attempts on goal in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Islanders.

Blackwood got off on the wrong foot in Thursday's contest as he allowed the first four goals of the contest through 28 minutes. With the loss, he now has a 6-1-1 record with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage through eight appearances this season. The 28-year-old netminder was off to an elite start this season, with Thursday's loss ending his six-game win streak. Blackwood has shown flashes of greatness with a shutout in a quarter of his appearances this season, but will likely have his ceiling in fantasy limited while operating in a tandem with Scott Wedgewood. Regardless, Blackwood should be rostered in all fantasy formats while the Avalanche remain atop the Central Division standings. His next opportunity to bounce back is Saturday across the state of New York for a tilt with the Rangers.

Thomas (undisclosed) was limited in the third period of Thursday's game versus the Bruins, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thomas was managing an injury rather than getting benched in what ended up being a 5-2 loss for the Blues. While he was able to stay on the bench, fantasy managers will want to double-check on the center's status for Saturday's game versus the Senators.

Knight is set to start on the road against the Kings on Thursday, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.

Knight is 8-5-5 with a 2.52 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 18 outings this season. He stopped 25 of 28 shots en route to a 4-3 shootout loss to Vegas on Tuesday. The Kings are in a tie for 28th in goals per game with 2.62.

Kuemper will protect the home goal versus the Blackhawks on Thursday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.

Kuemper's continued to play well recently, but he's 1-2-2 with 11 goals allowed over his last five games. He's maintained a .918 save percentage in that span. The Blackhawks have scored 14 goals over their last four contests and could present a bit of a challenge.

Wiesblatt won't return to Thursday's game against Florida because of an upper-body injury.

Wiesblatt logged just 15 seconds of ice time before exiting the game. If he can't play Saturday in Carolina, then Tyson Jost will probably draw into the lineup.

Woll (lower body) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Hurricanes.

Woll stopped 22 of 23 shots over the first two periods of the contest before exiting. The Maple Leafs are also missing Anthony Stolarz (upper body), putting their goaltending group in a precarious spot. Dennis Hildeby took over in goal Thursday and would likely see a starting role if Woll is forced to miss additional time.