COLUMBUS -- Playing with some consistency going into the 19-day break for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Columbus Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards didn't want to wreck all his lines to make way for the return from injury of Marian Gaborik against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in the first post-Sochi game.

Gaborik had been out since Dec. 21 and Richards was unsure how he would respond to his first action in nine weeks so the skilled right wing was placed on the fourth line with grinders Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu.

"Our line combinations seemed to be working well," Richards said Friday, a day after a 5-2 loss to the Devils. "Prior to the Olympics we were playing good hockey, good structure. We didn't see much of that in [the game Thursday]."

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks second-line center Ryan Kesler and top-four defenseman Christopher Tanev will each return from a hand injury to play against the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

Kesler did not play Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues after hurting his left hand blocking a shot during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and Tanev has missed seven games since injuring his right thumb blocking a shot against the Edmonton Oilers in late January.

They are welcome additions to the Canucks, who snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 1-0 win against St. Louis.

Kesler leads the team with 20 goals and is tops among NHL forwards in average ice time at 22:12 per game. He plays on the top power-play and penalty-kill units for the Canucks. He was injured by an Ilya Kovalchuk shot in the preliminary round in Sochi but played the final four games for the United States before returning here.

"He has been our most consistent guy," Canucks coach John Tortorella said. "He's been a horse, so it's a really good thing for our lineup. It kind of slots some other guys where they should be, so we're happy."

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks are the last NHL team to return to action after the break for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and that makes coach Bruce Boudreau a little uneasy.

Anaheim gets back into it Friday against the St. Louis Blues in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference. The Blues have played a game, but this will be Anaheim's first since Feb. 8.

"We're a little anxious," said Boudreau, one win shy of becoming the fastest coach to 300 wins in modern-day NHL history. "We're the only team that hasn't played a game yet. I don't know if that's good or bad … seeing a lot of teams playing their first game back. But we're certainly ready to get back into it."

DENVER -- Semyon Varlamov will start in goal Friday when the Colorado Avalanche face the Phoenix Coyotes at Pepsi Center, his first appearance since playing three games for Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Varlamov last played in an NHL game Feb. 6 when he stopped 32 shots in a 3-1 road loss to thePhiladelphia Flyers. He lost his last two decisions before the Olympic break but has set a career high for wins in a season with 28 and has been the Avalanche's most valuable player.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said he expects Varlamov to return to form after failing to win an Olympic medal for the host country.

"[Varlamov] is a great person and he wants to do well," Roy said. "I have no doubt in my mind that he's not happy about the way that he played and he's going to look at himself in the mirror. I think that's what makes a career. It's not always perfect. That's the way it was for me, anyway, and I think it's going to make him a better hockey player. It's going to help him approach how he's going to play until the end of the year and the playoffs. It's always how you bounce back."

BUFFALO -- After the San Jose Sharks disposed of the Philadelphia Flyers 7-3 in Philadelphia on Thursday, No. 1 goalie Antti Niemi will make his first start since returning from the 2014 Sochi Olympics on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.

"I feel good," Niemi said. "Rested, but still I was skating, short skates every day. I did some work, but it wasn't long practice, lots of games every day. I think it's good for my body and also for my mind. My mind got to rest, and other than that it was great experience being there."

WINNIPEG -- The final push to what the Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets hope is a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April begins Thursday when the teams meet at MTS Centre.

The Coyotes own a two-point lead on the Jets in the Western Conference postseason chase and remain one point behind the Vancouver Canucks for a wild-card spot. Coach Dave Tippett's Coyotes, who will play Friday at the Colorado Avalanche, also hold two games in hand on the Jets.

"Anybody that is in the race, they're talking about the same things," Tippett said after the Coyotes' morning skate. "A short season is coming, and everybody has to play [in] a playoff mode. The teams that do it successfully are going to get in."

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers may not admit to showcasing Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky, but the two will be on display Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

Hemsky will move up to play left wing on the Oilers' second line alongside Gagner and Jordan Eberle. It's the first time this season Hemsky has played left wing.

"We've been able to develop some chemistry and feed off each other," Gagner said. "He's a guy that likes the puck on the fly. The left wing is going to be a little different for him. When he gets that speed going, though, he's an amazing player. It should be a fun night."

Both Gagner and Hemsky have been rumored to be on the move as the March 5 NHL Trade Deadline approaches.

CALGARY -- Sleep, Joni Ortio admitted, wasn't a problem.

Set to make his first career NHL start against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, the Calgary Flames goaltender admitted he had no problem getting in a good snooze on the eve of the game.

"Good (sleep)," Ortio said. "Excited. I can't wait for tonight."

If the 22-year-old is nervous about marking his debut against Los Angeles, he's doing an exceptional job of masking it.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Washington Capitals will have defenseman Mike Green and center Mikhail Grabovski back in the lineup Thursday night when they try to pick up where they left off before the Olympic break, but the status of center Marcus Johansson was still up in the air after the morning skate.

Johansson skated with his teammates Thursday morning after arriving at the team hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. After competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Johansson had to fly to Sweden to resolve a visa issue and spent 20 hours traveling Wednesday to Miami after making a stop in London.

"I don't feel great right now," Johansson said. "Obviously when you travel like that for 20 hours or whatever it was, it takes a little toll on your body, but you get a good nap in and a good meal, I think it'll help me a lot."

DALLAS -- Before a 19-day break for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the Dallas Stars were on a good run, going 6-1-2 over their final nine games. Dallas returns to the ice Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes at American Airlines Center and Lindy Ruff's club is looking to continue that run in their final game of February.

"Yeah, I said the only disappointment this morning is we've got to wait until tonight to play," Ruff said after the morning skate. "It's great to be back. The guys sense the importance of these coming games and they've worked hard the past seven, eight days to be ready."

Ruff is keeping his forward lines and defensive pairings the same from a 2-1 win against the Phoenix Coyotes on Feb. 8 in Dallas' final game before the break. Kari Lehtonen will start his fourth consecutive game in goal for the Stars.