NHL Buzz: Palat returns for Devils against Blues

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New Jersey Devils

Ondrej Palat returned for the Devils against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
The forward missed 32 games after having groin surgery. He hadn't played since Oct. 24.
Palat has three goals in six games this season, his first with New Jersey after signing a five-year contract last July.
To make room on the roster for Palat, forward Tyce Thompson was sent to Utica of the American Hockey League.
Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was scratched after taking a shot off his hand during the morning skate. Akira Schmid was recalled from Utica backed up Vitek Vanecek.

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Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher did not play against the New York Rangers on Thursday because of the same lower-body injury that recently sidelined him for 13 games.
The forward scored in a 6-3 loss at the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. It was his only point in three games since he returned to the lineup.
Gallagher has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 25 games this season. He needs two goals for 200 in the NHL and has 390 points (198 goals, 192 assists) in 663 games, all with Montreal.
The Canadiens are 0-5-1 during a season-long, six-game skid and have one win in their past 10 games (1-8-1).
"I wouldn't say I'm happy with any players right now," coach Martin St. Louis said Thursday after the morning skate. "I have to be better. Everybody on this team has to be better. We all have to own it and be accountable a little bit and that's what we're doing." -- Sean Farrell

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Philadelphia Flyers

Carter Hart returned and started for the Flyers against the Arizona Coyotes.
The goalie missed three games since Dec. 23 with an upper-body injury. He passed an evaluation before Philadelphia defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Monday, but Samuel Ersson made 28 saves in his third consecutive start.
Hart is 10-11-6 with a 2.89 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 27 games (26 starts). Ersson won the final three games of a five-game road trip (2.90 GAA, .905 save percentage).

Columbus Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins started for the Blue Jackets against the Washington Capitals.
The goalie missed eight games because of an illness and hadn't played since Dec. 13, although he backed up Joonas Korpisalo in a 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Merzlikins is 4-8-0 with a 4.68 GAA and .864 save percentage in 14 games (11 starts) this season.

Winnipeg Jets

Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers, Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt could return for the Jets against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, BSSUNX, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Wheeler, Ehlers and Perfetti, each a forward, and Schmidt, a defenseman, were full participants in practice Thursday.
Wheeler has missed nine games since last playing Dec. 15, and had surgery for a groin injury a few days later. He has 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 29 games this season.
"We got the news yesterday that he was cleared to play which was shocking to all of us," coach Rick Bowness said Thursday. "That just goes back to his character, his commitment to the team, and his will to play. He loves to play. He works hard every day. Give him a lot of credit, he pushed the envelope, and he's back sooner than we thought, which is great news for all of us."
Ehlers, who has three assists in two games this season, hasn't played since Oct. 17 because of a sports hernia surgery. Perfetti (six goals, 14 assists in 33 games) has missed five games with a shoulder injury and Schmidt (three goals, three assists) in 29 games has missed nine games with an upper-body injury.
"You can miss a couple weeks and all of a sudden your timing is off and your conditioning isn't quite where you want it, the intensity of the games, you haven't felt it for a while," Bowness said. "They're going to need a couple games, there is no question about that. We'll fight our way through it."