Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Boston Bruins
Patrick Maroon made his Bruins debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
"I'm really pumped just to get going here; It's going to be a good test for myself too,” Maroon said after the morning skate Saturday. “This is a team that's fighting for a playoff spot. It's a great game to get into, get me prepared, get me ready for the real stuff.
"I'm going to try to play as many games before [the playoffs]. Obviously, there's three games remaining. I'm going to try to play all three. It's up to the coaches, too, depending on what they want and what they want to do. My goal is just to play this game, get through this game first and then try to go from there. So, really excited. Really excited to just get in the locker room with the guys and go on the ice with them."
Maroon spent the past 10 weeks recovering from back surgery in early February. The Bruins acquired him from the Minnesota Wild on March 8. He had 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 49 games with the Wild this season.
“It's his first game, [so] he's got to get some rustiness out of his game,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. “That's why we're putting him in. Hopefully, he can play all three here before (the playoffs), but that remains to be seen." -- Joe Pohoryles
Los Angeles Kings
Anze Kopitar is unlikely to play when the Kings host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; BSSD, BSW, BSSC) after the center did not participate in the morning skate.
“I wouldn’t say officially (ruled out); I would be careful on that, but we’ll see,” coach Jim Hiller said.
After Los Angeles clinched a playoff berth with a 4-1 win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday, Hiller said high-usage players such as Kopitar could have their minutes reduced or be held out of any of the last three regular-season games.
“We’ll be very cognizant of bumps and bruises,” Hiller said. “That will be the only thing that would probably take somebody’s minutes down would be if they’re just not 100 percent healthy, and we just want to try to manage that a little bit.”
Kopitar leads all Kings forwards in ice time, averaging 19:40 per game, and has 70 points (26 goals, 44 assists) in 79 games.
Los Angeles (42-26-11) is third in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights. -- Dan Greenspan
Toronto Maple Leafs
Timothy Liljegren returned for the Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
The defenseman had missed the past eight games because of an upper-body injury he sustained during a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on March 26.
Liljegren has 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) and has averaged 19:40 of ice time in 52 games.
Forward Max Domi also returned after he was absent from practice Friday because of an undisclosed injury. He had two assists and three shots on goal in 11:34 of ice time in a 6-5 loss to the Devils on Thursday.
Defenseman Joel Edmundson (undisclosed) did not play.
"Nothing to do with his previous injury; just something has popped up that we are being overly cautious with at this point,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He still skated today, so nothing we are too concerned about, but everything considered we will give him tonight off." -- Dave McCarthy
Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Murphy played for the first time in nearly three months when the Blackhawks lost 5-1 to the Nashville Predators at home Friday.
The defenseman, who sustained a groin injury during Chicago's 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Jan. 13, had missed 35 games.
"It's been too long so it's nice," Murphy said before finishing with one shot in 19:05 of ice time. "The last test is just getting in a game and see how it lasts the whole game."
Murphy practiced with the team last Friday for the first time since sustaining his injury.
"That extra time that he took to rehab properly, we weren't in a [Stanley Cup] Playoff run where he may be forced into playing a little bit early and sometimes that always exposes the chance for more injury," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "I think he feels really good right now and we're happy to have his leadership back."
Murphy, who has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 44 games, played on a defense pair with Ethan Del Mastro. Del Mastro was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Thursday and played 18:35 against Nashville in his NHL debut. -- Tracey Myers
Washington Capitals
Rasmus Sandin is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season for the Capitals because of an upper-body injury.
The defenseman did not play the past two games and has not skated since being injured on a hit from Ottawa Senators forward Parker Kelly at the end of the first period of a 3-2 overtime loss Sunday.
"Nothing new," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said after practice Friday. "Didn't skate today, so I don't think he'll play before the end of the regular season."
Sandin has 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) and is second on Washington in average ice time per game this season (21:07) in 68 games.
The Capitals (37-31-11) trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by one point for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and have three games remaining, beginning with hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSSUN). -- Tom Gulitti
