The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled goaltender Henrik Karlsson from the American Hockey League.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that goaltender Corey Crawford is not with the team for the morning skate. The Blackhawks, the only team in the League without a regulation loss, host the San Jose Sharks Friday (8:30 p.m. ET, NHLN-US).

Karlsson, 29, is 2-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in four AHL games the Rockford IceHogs.

Karlsson was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Calgary Flames last month for a 2013 seventh-round draft pick.

Cory Schneider isn't worried about figuring out the goaltending decisions of Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, who continues to joke about picking his starter each game based on a coin flip.

Schneider is focused only on the fact the coin flip landed on him for Friday's game against the visiting Dallas Stars.

He expects there will be a lot more flip-flopping as the upcoming schedule gets busier.

"I don't think there's much to figure out," Schneider said of getting the start after Roberto Luongo made 25 saves in a 2-1 win against Minnesota on Tuesday. "We are going to be pretty busy here the next six weeks, so I don't think it's going to be a lot of rhyme or reason. It's just going to be playing a guy who is playing well and try to share the load so if the team is maybe tired the guy in net will be fresh and be the difference."

Both Luongo and Schneider have been just that throughout a six-game win streak.

Luongo won the first three amid a stretch of four straight starts before Schneider took over for back-to-back wins of his own, giving up just one goal each time. Luongo was back in goal against Minnesota, but will watch Schneider play against the Stars.

Statistically, Luongo is better overall with a .943 save percentage and 1.45 goals-against average that ranks first in the NHL. But after since an opening-night face plant as the new would-be No.1 that saw him pulled allowing after five goals on 14 shots, Schneider has been just as good, posting a .946 save percentage while winning four of five starts.

All of which makes Vigneault's coin flip a no-lose bet.

VANCOUVER – Celebration over Ryan Kesler's impending return the lineup was muted in the Vancouver Canucks locker room Thursday as players learned they had lost veteran Manny Malhotra for the season.

About the same time Kesler was creating a buzz with a regular shift in practice, the team issued a press release announcing Malhotra had been placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season. The popular 32-year-old center's season – and possibly his career – is over because of a vision-threatening eye injury suffered almost two years ago.

Manny Malhotra

Center - VAN

GOALS: 0 | ASST: 0 | PTS: 0
SOG: 2 | +/-: -3

"I wouldn't put anybody in a position where if I was uncomfortable with their ability to protect themselves or ability to function out on the ice and be at a higher risk than normal," Gillis said. "Particularly in today's game, where it is so fast, the players are so big that even someone not trying to hurt him or injure him, an innocent collision could be really damaging if you don't know or you are unaware."

NEW YORK - Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards need to improve their "battle level," according to New York Rangers coach John Tortorella -- hence the reason for moving captain Ryan Callahan onto their line for Thursday night's game against the New York Islanders.

Tortorella was frank about the play of his two of his biggest stars this season, especially the skating of Gaborik.

"He needs to help them get the puck because I don't think those two guys are doing a good enough job getting the puck," Tortorella said. "It certainly doesn't take the onus off of them, but I just want to see what that looks like.

"They need to play better."

Tortorella said he didn't like Callahan with Richards last season, but the two played together for a lengthy stretch in 2011-12. In Gaborik's case, Tortorella wants to see him emulate another speedy winger on his club - Carl Hagelin.

"It's a huge part of his game," Tortorella said of Gaborik's speed. "You look at Hagelin. He's second on our team - we keep this stat offensively and defensively and you have a plus/minus, basically (with scoring chances for and against) - he's second behind [Rick] Nash as far as his plus/minus. Hags is at like plus-27, Nash is at plus-31, and Hags hasn't made a whole lot of passes. I'm not criticizing him -- he's done it with his legs. He creates havoc with his legs.

"I just don't understand why Gabby can't do that. I know they're a little different-type players. But Gabby needs to bring that into his game. And he will."

It should also be noted that Tortorella referred to Derek Stepan as the team's first-line center, and his 25:14 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout victory in Boston backs up that sentiment; Richards played 19:19.

Tortorella also said making Chris Kreider a healthy scratch and bringing Brian Boyle back into the lineup after sitting him for three games wasn't because Kreider played poorly, but he hadn't done enough good things of late. Rookie J.T. Miller will be moved to the wing with Boyle centering the third line in an effort to lessen the responsibilities on the 19-year-old in his own zone.

Here's what the Rangers' lines will look like as they go for their fourth win in a row.

Carl Hagelin - Derek Stepan - Rick Nash

Marian Gaborik - Brad Richards - Ryan Callahan

J.T. Miller - Brian Boyle - Taylor Pyatt

Arron Asham - Jeff Halpern - Darroll Powe

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi

Marc Staal - Anton Stralman

Michael Del Zotto - Matt Gilroy

Martin Biron

Henrik Lundqvist

Follow Dave Lozo on Twitter: @DaveLozo

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that center Ryan Kesler has been medically cleared to return to playing.

"All indications are that Kesler is ready to go," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said, according to the team's official Twitter feed.

Kesler practiced with the team Thursday, skating on a line with Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian.

"It's a line that can bring good size with physical presence and good puck pursuit," Vigneault said.

Cory Schneider will start for the third time in four games when the surging Vancouver Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Friday.

Schneider allowed one goal in each of his previous two starts, Feb. 7 against the Minnesota Wild and Feb. 9 against the Calgary Flames, before Roberto Luongo got the start and won his fourth straight, also allowing a single goal in Tuesday's win over the Wild.

Vancouver has won six in a row.

The Dallas Stars have returned defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to their American Hockey League team, the Texas Stars.

In six games with the Stars, Oleksiak had one assist while averaging 15:40 of ice time per game.

The 14th pick of the 2011 NHL Draft, Oleksiak led the Texas Stars with 20 assists and also had 23 points in 43 games. He also played in the 2013 AHL All-Star Game.

New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus underwent successful wrist surgery Thursday and will miss 4-6 weeks, the team announced.

Zubrus had one goal and four points in nine games this season.

In his absence, rookie Stefan Matteau has been playing on the top line with Travis Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk. The team also reacquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky on Wednesday from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a pair of draft picks.

The Minnesota Wild have returned top prospect Charlie Coyle to their American Hockey League team, the Houston Aeros.

Coyle played right wing on the team's top line the past five games, but did not have any points, had six shots on goal and was a minus-1.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Here are the projected lineups for tonight's Northwest Division contest between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center:

AVALANCHE

Jamie McGinn - Matt Duchene - PA Parenteau

Aaron Palushaj - Paul Stastny - David Jones

Cody McLeod - Michael Sgarbossa - Milan Hejduk

Chuck Kobasew - Mark Olver - Patrick Bordeleau

Ryan O'Byrne - Jan Hejda

Matt Hunwick - Tyson Barrie

Greg Zanon - Shane O'Brien

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Semyon Varlamov

WILD

Dany Heatley - Mikko Koivu - Zach Parise

Mikael Granlund - Kyle Brodziak - Devin Setoguchi

Pierre-Marc Bouchard - Matt Cullen - Cal Clutterbuck

Torrey Mitchell - Zenon Konopka - Mike Rupp

Ryan Suter - Jonas Brodin

Tom Gilbert - Clayton Stoner

Jared Spurgeon - Justin Falk

Niklas Backstrom

Darcy Kuemper