Ben Bishop, DAL (91 percent owned): Aside from a 14-save shutout in a 5-0 win against the Islanders last Friday, Bishop's numbers haven't been good. He has lost three of his past four starts, allowing 12 goals in the three losses, and has allowed at least three goals in seven of nine games. The Dallas Stars were expecting Bishop to be the solution to their goalten ding problems, but with a 2.68 GAA and .908 SV% through 14 starts, that hasn't been the case. Bishop is capable of a turnaround, but the first six weeks of the season have been very frustrating to his owners. Backup Kari Lehtonen (6 percent owned) is 2-3-1 with a 2.48 GAA and .910 SV% in six games (four starts), surprisingly better numbers than Bishop.
Jake Allen, STL (98 percent owned): The Blues have had a rough two games, losing by a combined score of 12-6 to the Islanders and Calgary Flames, and Allen has allowed 10 goals in that stretch. In three of his past four games, his save percentage has been .871 or lower. The 2.83 GAA this season is concerning, but he has never had a GAA higher than 2.46 in four previous seasons, and this stretch likely is going to be a blip on an otherwise stellar season. The Blues defensive system allows Allen to thrive, but perhaps monitor his upcoming matchup and rest him if necessary. Backup Carter Hutton is owned in 14 percent of leagues, but has been effective (4-0-0, 1.71 GAA, .943 SV%), should be handcuffed by Allen owners and is a good option for a spot start.
Mike Smith, CGY (87 percent owned): Smith sustained an undisclosed injury after allowing two goals on nine shots in an eventual 7-4 win against the Blues on Monday, didn't play against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday and his availability against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday is in question. Prior to the injury, Smith wasn't playing well, having allowed 12 goals in three games, leading to a 2.63 GAA. Backup Eddie Lack, who replaced Smith on Monday, allowed two goals on 15 shots through two periods and allowed five goals on 15 shots before being pulled after 24 minutes in an 8-2 loss against the Red Wings. Lack (15 percent owned) has seen an uptick in ownership in recent days, but isn't the answer. He had a 2.64 GAA last season and has a 2.60 NHL GAA. If you own Smith, your best bet is to place him on injured reserve if possible and look for Greiss or someone else to replace him.