NHL Buzz: Boldy returns for Wild against Devils
Flyers recall Petersen from AHL; Blackhawks' Hall skates on his own
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Minnesota Wild
Matt Boldy returned for the Wild when they hosted the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
The forward missed seven games with an upper-body injury, sustained in the third period of a 7-4 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 14. He has two points (one goal, one assist) in two games this season.
"[Getting injured] the second game of the year obviously stinks," Boldy said Wednesday. "You wait all summer. But there’s a lot more hockey to be played."
Boldy was third in scoring for Minnesota last season with an NHL career-high 63 points (31 goals, 32 assists) in 81 games.
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon also practiced with the group for the first time Wednesday. The captain has yet to make his season debut, sustaining an upper-body injury during a preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 5. Spurgeon was placed on long term injured reserve Oct. 25 and would be eligible to return when the Wild host the New York Rangers on Saturday.
"He’s progressing," coach Dean Evason said Wednesday. "We’ll see. Obviously, this is his first four or five drills and then he got off -- it was planned – so we’ll just move along and see how it progresses and hopefully get him in sooner rather than later."
Evason said forward Frederick Gaudreau, who did not travel on Minnesota's recent three-game road trip due to an upper-body injury, has yet to start skating and is out indefinitely. -- Jessi Pierce
Philadelphia Flyers
Cal Petersen was recalled by the Flyers from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
The move comes after Philadelphia goalie Carter Hart sustained a mid-body injury 10 minutes into a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday. Hart allowed two goals on five shots prior to exiting.
Flyers coach John Tortorella did not have an update after the game, and the team was off Thursday.
Petersen, 29, is 1-3-0 with a 3.76 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage in four AHL games this season. He is 44-42-10 with a 2.92 GAA and .905 save percentage in 101 NHL games, all with the Los Angeles Kings.
To make room for Petersen, defenseman Victor Mete was sent to Lehigh Valley.
Chicago Blackhawks
Taylor Hall skated on his own Wednesday for the first time since the forward reaggravated a left shoulder injury against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 21.
“We’re going to have a gym day (Thursday), and a little bit more video stuff and then get back on the ice Friday," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "So, we’re hoping he’ll either skate tomorrow for another test and try it with us (on Friday) or just do the gym day with the guys and try it with us on Friday and see how it goes.”
Hall initially sustained the injury when he was hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo in the first minute of the second period of Chicago’s 3-1 loss Oct. 11.
The 31-year-old left at 8:24 of the second period of the Blackhawks’ 5-3 loss to the Golden Knights on Oct. 21. He came back to start the third, but his last shift came with 7:07 remaining. Hall was placed on injured reserve Oct. 24.
Defenseman Alex Vlasic did not practice Wednesday and remains in concussion protocol after taking a hit from Golden Knights forward Brett Howden in the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss Friday. -- Tracey Myers
Buffalo Sabres
Devon Levi was the Sabres' backup goalie for their 5-2 win at the Flyers on Wednesday.
Levi, who returned to practice Tuesday, had been out with a lower-body injury and hadn’t skated with Buffalo since participating in an optional morning skate Oct. 21.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started in goal against the Flyers and made 38 saves.
"I'm very happy for him and very happy for us," Buffalo coach Don Granato said of Levi. "I think we'll have a better goaltender coming back by virtue of the experience he gained through this process. It's nice to see him back, it's nice to see 'Upie' playing well as well. He took advantage of the opportunity, he was ready for it, and he's looked more comfortable each day out. I'm pretty happy with both those guys, the direction they're going."
Levi started each of the first four games of the season and is 1-3-0 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. -- Heather Engel
New York Islanders
Scott Mayfield returned for the Islanders when they visited the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
The defenseman missed seven games with a lower-body injury after he was hit in the left ankle with a slap shot by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in a season-opening 3-2 win against the Sabres on Oct. 14. Mayfield was a full participant in New York's morning skate Thursday after practicing with the team Wednesday.
Mayfield was second on New York averaging 21:02 in ice time last season.
Rookie defenseman Samuel Bolduc, who had been playing in Mayfield's place, was scratched.
"It doesn't matter if it's a defenseman or a forward, it's better slotting," Lambert said on Mayfield being in the lineup. "So, it puts everybody in the right spot." -- Tom Gulitti
Boston Bruins
Matthew Poitras will remain with the Bruins and not be returned to Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 19-year-old forward has five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games. He played his 10th game on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Boston, which means this season will count against the three-year, entry-level contract ($870,000 average annual value) he signed with the Bruins on May 5.
"His play, he earned it," Boston coach Jim Montgomery said. "We're comfortable with him. There's still no guarantees he's here the rest of the year, but we feel that the way he's progressed that, for the time being, he's going to be a Bruin."
Poitras was a second-round pick (No. 54) in the 2022 NHL Draft.
"We see the hockey IQ, we see the skill, we see the vision," Montgomery said. "But if you don't compete, don't have natural second and third effort, especially at a young age, it's hard to stay in this league. And that's been the quality that has been the best quality as to why we think he's earned this."
Boston placed Matt Grzelcyk on long-term injured reserve Wednesday with an upper-body injury. He left during the first period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Monday, and Montgomery said afterward that the defenseman would be out "a couple weeks."
By being placed on long-term injured reserve, Grzelcyk will be out a minimum of 24 days and 10 games. He is eligible to return at the New York Rangers on Nov. 25.
The Bruins also placed forward Jakub Lauko on injured reserve. He's been out since sustaining a fracture in his face against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 24.
Boston recalled defensemen Mason Lohrei, Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon from Providence of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Lohrei made his NHL debut Thursday. -- Joe Pohoryles
