Buzz: Ovechkin practices with Capitals for 1st time since injury
Barzal, Pelech return for Islanders; Stolarz placed on IR by Maple Leafs
© Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin took part in the morning skate for the Capitals prior to their 4-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, his first time skating with the team since the forward fractured his left fibula against the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18.
Ovechkin, wearing a noncontact jersey, did skills work with coach Kenny McCudden before practice, then took part in drills at the beginning of the skate. Prior to Saturday, Ovechkin had been skating on his own before practices.
"It's another step," Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. "I wouldn't start to put targets or setting projective dates of a return. I just think it's another step."
Carbery said it has not yet been determined whether Ovechkin will travel with team on its road trip to Dallas and Chicago next week, beginning Monday.
Ovechkin, who has missed 11 games, was leading the League with 15 goals in 18 games this season before he was injured. He has 868 goals, 27 from passing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894 goals. -- Harvey Valentine
New York Islanders
Mathew Barzal (upper body) and Adam Pelech (jaw) were activated from injured reserve and played for the Islanders in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Barzal, who missed 21 games, played 20:45 and was minus-2.
“We’ve got a good medical team here; they took care of it,” Barzal said before the game Sunday. “It shouldn’t be anything that lingers. That’s obviously the hardest part about getting injured, is having to take a little time off and getting those lungs back and your legs back. Fortunately, I was able to work out, keep my legs in shape.
“But the biggest thing is just the mental battle, just not being around the boys much, not being on the road, not being in the fight with the boys. Definitely long days at the rink, but time goes on and we’re here today.”
Pelech, who missed 20 games, was plus-1 in 19:47.
“Physically I felt pretty good for a while, so I was able to skate, get a lot of good work in and put myself in a spot where I feel pretty comfortable, confident and good physically for returning to the lineup,” Pelech said. “It’s a long time. Six weeks is a long time to be away from the team, away from the game. The team was on the road a lot. Skating by yourself, it’s fine; you can get in good shape and stuff, but it’s not really the same to replicate those game-like situations or even a hard practice.
“But thankfully we got a couple of practices the past couple of weeks, and I feel like I put myself in a good spot where I’m comfortable heading back into the lineup.”
Bo Horvat did not play for New York because of a lower-body injury. The forward is day to day. -- Bruce Miles
Toronto Maple Leafs
Anthony Stolarz (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 12.
The goalie, who has missed the past three games, won't be eligible to play when the Maple Leafs visit the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
"We'll get an update on it in a couple days,” coach Craig Berube said. “I'm not really going to comment on that right now."
Goalie Dennis Hildeby, who was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Friday, made 24 saves for the Maple Leafs in a 5-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. He backed up Joseph Woll in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Stolarz was injured in the first period of a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and was replaced by Woll to start the second period.
Stolarz, who is in his first season with the Maple Leafs after signing a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent July 1, is 9-5-2 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .927 save percentage with one shutout in 17 games. -- Dave McCarthy
Chicago Blackhawks
Petr Mrazek is progressing from a left groin injury and will skate Monday, Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sorensen said.
The goalie sustained the injury during a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 7. Mrazek fell awkwardly at 10:46 of the first period and immediately skated to the locker room. He was given a timeline of 1-2 weeks the day after the injury.
Mrazek, 32, is 7-11-1 with a 2.83 GAA and .906 save percentage in 20 starts this season.
Sorensen said defenseman Seth Jones skated briefly Saturday and again on Sunday. Jones has been out since Nov. 14, when he injured his right foot in Chicago’s 3-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken. He has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 17 games.
The Blackhawks announced Nov. 20 that Jones would be out four weeks.
“It’s going to be a little bit longer here, but he’s on the ice,” Sorensen said of Jones. “So, that’s a positive.” -- Tracey Myers
Boston Bruins
Oliver Wahlstrom was claimed by the Bruins off waivers from the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The 24-year-old forward has four points (two goals, two assists) in 27 games this season.
"We've had a lot of games against the Islanders, and there's been games where he's been in and out for them but the one thing that sticks to my mind is a good shot, a guy that can probably score some goals, and pretty good on the elbow or the bumper in the power play because of that shot that he has, right-handed shot," Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said.
Selected by New York with the No. 11 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, Wahlstrom has 71 points (36 goals, 35 assists) in 220 regular-season games.
San Jose Sharks
Will Smith returned for the Sharks in a 4-3 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday after missing three games with an upper-body injury.
The forward had been on injured reserve since Dec. 6. He did not have a point in the loss and has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 25 games.
"He's got to make sure he's skating tonight with a skilled team," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "I'm sure there'll be some rust there."
Klim Kostin (upper body) was placed on injured reserve and did not play against Utah. The forward left a 4-3 win at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday late in the second period.
"He's feeling better, so we'll deal with it as the days go on," Warsofsky said. -- Max Miller
Tampa Bay Lightning
Victor Hedman did not play for the Lightning in a 5-1 win against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
The defenseman participated in an optional morning skate Saturday but missed his second game because of an upper-body injury.
Hedman has 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 26 games for Tampa Bay this season and leads the team in average ice time (23:21).
Defenseman Erik Cernak, who missed two games with an upper-body injury, returned against the Kraken. He had one shot in 18:00 of ice time.
Defenseman J.J. Moser, who left the an 8-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday with an undisclosed injury, was placed on injured reserve.
"Moser is going to be out so he'll get reevaluated when we go back to Tampa," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "'Heddy' and 'Cerny' are trending in the right direction so we’ll see after the skate here today, but hopefully we’ll have both in." -- Darren Brown
New York Rangers
K'Andre Miller was placed on injured reserve by the Rangers on Friday because of an upper-body injury.
The defenseman was injured in the second period of a 3-2 win against the Sabres on Wednesday and did not play in the third period. Miller did not play in a 5-1 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and will not be available for the start of a three-game road trip that began with a 3-2 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
Miller has six points (two goals, four assists) in 28 games this season.
The Rangers (15-14-1) have lost 10 of their past 13 games and are down two of their top six defensemen from the start of the season, with captain Jacob Trouba being traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6.
Connor Mackey, who hadn't played an NHL game since Jan. 27 of last season, replaced Miller in the lineup Saturday. He had one shot on goal and a fighting major in 13:33 of ice time.
Detroit Red Wings
Cam Talbot did not play in a 4-2 win against the Maple Leafs on Saturday after he reaggravated a lower-body injury during practice Friday.
Talbot made 32 saves in the Red Wings' 4-1 loss to the Flyers on Thursday, his first game back after missing four because of the injury.
Coach Derek Lalonde said the hope is Talbot is day to day.
"Just battling something lower body," Lalonde said. "Fought through it, gave us an unbelievable game last night. Gave it a go early in practice today, and couldn't complete practice."
Goalie Alex Lyon practiced Friday and could play against the Flyers on Wednesday. He has missed nine games because of a lower-body injury.
"He took a full practice today, moving post to post very well," Lalonde said. "This was the plan all along. Hope for Wednesday."
Detroit assigned goalie Jack Campbell to Grand Rapids of the AHL on Sunday.