"We just take things one day at a time," Paciroetty said. "We have good players stepping in, and guys who are going to get an opportunity now to step in and make a difference, especially with Brendan being an offensive guy. Some guys will get more offensive responsibilities. It's a good opportunity for guys to step up, and we hope that everyone that's injured comes back."
Center Alex Galchenyuk (knee) and defenseman Andrei Markov (lower body) practiced Friday wearing a non-contact jersey. Neither is expected to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVA Sports, NHL.TV).
"It was nice to be back with the guys, going out there and skating, and not skating by yourself. It was a fun time," said Galchenyuk, who has missed 14 games. "I'm still feeling out some things and now it's just working on the things that I've done before, cutting across and doing the stuff with the puck. The knee feels great so far, and it's one day at a time, but it's definitely getting closer."
Forward Nikita Scherbak will make his NHL debut against the Maple Leafs after being called up from St. John's of the American Hockey League.
