Niemi will be between the pipes Thursday against the Panthers, CSNBayArea.com's Kevin Kurz reports. Niemi was bypassed for Tuesday's start in Buffalo in favor of Troy Grosenick, who received his second straight nod after an impressive 45-save shutout Sunday in his NHL debut. Grosenick turned in a dud against the Sabres, but he wasn't a serious threat to challenge Niemi's standing as the team's No. 1 goalie even if he had performed well. Niemi should be a viable option in daily formats Thursday with a matchup against a Panthers squad that ranks 28th in the NHL with 2.19 goals per game.

Niemi made 25 saves in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. He has just two wins in the month of November. Alex Stalock had been pushing him for the blue paint prior to Stalock's injury, so Niemi really needs to buckle down to keep ahead of the talented youngster.

Niemi was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and will start Saturday against the Blue Jackets, Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News reports. Niemi will draw his fourth consecutive start for the Sharks, but the bigger question is whether or not he'll make another turn Sunday against the Hurricanes. Coach Todd McLellan had previously shown a preference to split the back-to-back starts between Niemi and capable backup Alex Stalock, but with Stalock now on injured reserve following minor left surgery, the unproven Troy Grosenick is the Sharks' new No. 2 goalie. Grosenick's lack of NHL experience and unappealing numbers with AHL Worcester (2.73 GAA, .908 save percentage in 10 outings) could lead McLellan to lean heavily on Niemi oer the next several weeks.

Niemi stopped 32 of 33 to outduel Ben Bishop in a 2-1 victory over the Lightning on Thursday. He was well on his way to a shutout before Steven Stamkos tagged him for a mid-third-period goal, but if you're gonna give up a goal to any Bolt, it may as well be Stamkos. The victory ends a three-game losing skid for Niemi in which he'd allowed 11 goals.

Niemi will be between the pipes for the Sharks on Thursday, according to the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka. With Alex Stalock hurt, expect Niemi to continue to carry the majority of the goaltending burden. He hasn't been great in recent starts, with his save percentage at .889 or lower over the last three games, all of which were losses.

Niemi allowed four goals on 30 shots in Tuesday's loss to the Panthers -- his third consecutive defeat. Things haven't been going well of late for Niemi, who's been hit up for 11 goals over the course of those three losses. It doesn't help that the Sharks aren't producing much on offense lately, but Niemi's sub-.900 save percentages in those three games aren't getting the job done.

Niemi stopped 32 of the 36 shots he faced in Sunday's loss to Chicago. Niemi has now lost two straight outings, giving up seven goals in that span. With Alex Stalock knocking on the door, Niemi will need to be better if he hopes to continue holding on to the starting position. Niemi still boasts a 6-4-1 record on the season and remains one of the more reliable fantasy goalies in the game.

Niemi will start in goal Sunday against the Blackhawks, Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area reports He had a rough outing Thursday against the Canucks, but otherwise has been decent overall this year. After sitting out last night against the Star, Niemi will get a chance Sunday to prove he is the team's best choice in goal.

Niemi gave up three goals on 19 shots in Thursday's loss to Vancouver. After going 3-0-1 in impressive fashion over his last four starts, Niemi took a step back Thursday, losing despite seeing his team nearly double up the Canucks in shots, 36-19. We'll have to wait and see if the Sharks stick with him Saturday in Dallas.

Niemi will get his fifth start in a row on Thursday, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area. Niemi has definitively taken the reins of goaltending in San Jose despite much discussion about whether or not Alex Stalock might be ready for the starting job. He currently holds a .923 save percentage, a 2.49 goals against average, and six wins through nine starts.