Niemi was the first goalie off the ice at the Sharks' morning skate and appears likely to start Thursday against the Maple Leafs, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News reports. Niemi is coming off two disastrous outings in a row, during which he surrendered a combined eight goals in losses to the Blackhawks and Jets. The two decisive defeats followed up two superb starts against the Predators and Penguins, against whom Niemi stopped 74 of 75 shots. That kind of inconsistency hasn't been foreign to Niemi this season, but he should at least make for a more dependable play against the awful Leafs, who have been in a tailspin since the start of January.

Niemi stopped only five of eight shots before being pulled 13:01 into Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Winnipeg. A hideous game for Niemi, and one that comes at a bad time after he gave up five goals Saturday against the Blackhawks. He'd been on a bit of a hot streak before that, but has had trouble really settling into a groove this year and now is back to a practical .500, with a 27-20-7 record on the year. His only saving grace is that Alex Stalock was mediocre in relief, stopping just 12 of 14.

Niemi is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Jets, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News reports. Niemi will look to bounce back Tuesday after giving up five goals on 29 shots in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks. Prior to that rough outing, Niemi had won two straight games, while allowing just one goal in that span.

Niemi was lit up for five goals on 29 shots by his former team in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks. Believe it or not, this game was deadlocked 2-2 heading into the third before the Hawks exploded for four unanswered goals in the final frame. Niemi's implosion snaps a mini run of strong play for the Finn, as he'd shut out the Predators one game prior and beat the Penguins in a 39-save gem before that. Despite the fact that he'll see most of the remaining starts for the Sharks, he makes for somewhat of a shaky option given his -- and the Sharks' -- inconsistency this season.

Niemi will be in the cage for Saturday's game against the Blackhawks, Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago reports. Niemi will unsurprisingly get the nod against his former team, against whom the goalie has posted a 6-1-0 record, 1.54 GAA, and .950 save percentage for his career. The decision for coach Todd McLellan to start him was likely made further easier by his superb performances his last two times out. He held two quality teams in the Predators and Penguins to a combined one goal, stopping 74 of 75 shots in the process.

Niemi stopped all 35 shots the Predators sent his way Thursday in a 2-0 victory. That's one goal allowed on 75 shots spanning 125 minutes over the last two games, both against quality opponents in Pittsburgh and Nashville (although the Preds have been slumping). He's been inconsistent for much of the year, but Niemi's posted save marks of .900 or better in eight consecutive games now. Blame the even-more-inconsistent San Jose offense for helping him to just a 4-4 record over that stretch.

Niemi was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is thus in line to start Thursday against the Predators, Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News reports. The Predators find themselves tied with the Ducks for first in the Western Conference, but a 3-6-1 mark over their last 10 games probably makes them less of a threat to Niemi & Co. than their record would indicate. Niemi has struggled to gain much momentum this season, but has at least been serviceable over the last couple weeks. He's recorded save percentages above .900 in seven straight outings, though his most recent contest against the Penguins -- a 39-save, 2-1 shootout victory -- was the only game he truly stole.

Niemi allowed just a single goal on 40 shots as the Sharks prevailed 2-1 over Pittsburgh in a shootout Monday. Where has this guy been all season? Niemi was terrific in this one, and has now made 26 or more saves in 10 consecutive starts -- a span that has featured just four wins. The Sharks still sit four points out of a playoff spot, so they're likely going to continue to rely heavily on the veteran netminder in the final month of the season. And, if the Sharks' 10-year playoff streak is any indication, they're going to compete hard to get to the postseason, giving Niemi ample opportunities for wins.

Niemi is slated to start Monday's game against the Penguins, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports. Niemi, who is 1-4-0 over his last five starts, will square off Monday against a Pittsburgh squad that is coming off back-to-back road wins over the Ducks (5-2 on Friday) and Kings (1-0 on Saturday).

Niemi stopped 31 of 34 shots in Saturday's loss to the Canucks. That was the fourth loss in five games for Niemi, who falls to 24-18-7 on the season with a .913 save percentage and 2.62 GAA. He's playing fine right now, but the Sharks continue to slide. He's the man in San Jose though, so if you're looking for decent rate stats and games played, Niemi is your man.