Antti Niemi stopped 26 of 28 on Thursday against the Panthers, but took the loss after a shootout.

Niemi stopped 26 of 28 on Thursday against the Panthers, but took the loss after a shootout.

Analysis:

That's five losses in six starts now for Niemi, although he's sharpened up his game over the last three contests, posting save marks of at least .929 in all three. Temporary backup Troy Grosenick isn't a big threat for playing time, so Niemi should keep getting rolled out most nights while normal backup Alex Stalock lingers on injured reserve.