PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren announced Thursday that forward Mike Knuble will arrive in town Friday with the intention of signing a contract.

"Mike's coming in [Friday] morning and we'll get him checked out by the doctors," Holmgren said between periods of Thursday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. "I assume he's ready to go."

Holmgren said if there are no medical issues, Knuble will sign and be available for the team during its weekend games at the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

At 11:53 of the second period in the Rangers/Flyers game, video review upheld the referee's call on the ice that Philadelphia defenseman Nicklas Grossman's shot deflected off Wayne Simmond's skate and into the net in a legal fashion. According to rule 49.2 "A puck that deflects into the net off an attacking player's skate who does not use a distinct kicking motion is a legitimate goal." Good Goal Philadelphia.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers' injury woes have gotten worse.

Center Stephen Weiss joined the list of players missing from Thursday night's game against the Ottawa Senators when he was ruled out with a lower-body injury. Weiss, who had one assist in the first three games, took part in the morning skate but didn't come out for pregame warmups.

The Panthers also are without four regulars from last year's Southeast Division championship team — Kris Versteeg, Marcel Goc, Sean Bergenheim and Erik Gudbranson — and defenseman Michael Caruso is out with a broken wrist sustained in Tuesday's 4-1 loss at the Montreal Canadiens.

Mike Santorelli, who was scratched Tuesday night, took Weiss' place in the lineup.

Weiss' injury further disrupts the Panthers' top line, which already was set to have a fourth different combination in four games. Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann were flanked in the first three games by Santorelli, Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky, and Alex Kovalev worked with the pair during Thursday's morning skate.

The line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Peter Mueller and Kopecky starts against Ottawa.

Hartnell sustained the injury during the third period of Tuesday's game against the New Jersey Devils when he was hit in the foot by a shot by teammate Kimmo Timonen.

"Right now we're trying to decide, talking to the doctor, what the best way to proceed is as far as how to approach this," Holmgren said before the Flyers' game against the New York Rangers. "I can't give you a time frame. It's probably going to be between four to eight weeks. … Obviously it's a significant injury."

E.J. Hradek breaks down Mikael Backlund's goal on Wednesday in this weeks Kay White Board segment.

In Thursday's EJ5 he looks at some important events that happen on January 24th and one that is on the horizon.

PHILADELPHIA -- New York Rangers rookie forward Chris Kreider, who played just 7:21 in Wednesday's 4-3 win against the Boston Bruins, will sit out Thursday's game here against the Flyers.

The 21-year-old, who stepped into the lineup and excelled in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring, has just one shot and a minus-2 rating in three games this season.

"He's just a kid," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "He's not even gone through an NHL training camp. He has not played a lot, and the regular season is a whole different ballgame as far as the grind of it and what you have to do. … This is a different situation. He understands."

Kreider, one of the few players at the rink for Thursday's optional morning practice, said he's going along with the plan.

"I trust the organization and I trust all the decisions they make and ultimately they'll make the right decision and have my best interests in mind," he told The (Bergen) Record.

Tortorella said Kreider has been spending extra time watching video with him and assistant coach Mike Sullivan, and that process will continue. However, he also believes watching the game from the press box can be a good thing for Kreider.

"We have him focus on people," Tortorella said. "I know last year when he was out we had him look at [Carl] Hagelin because they're similar with their speed. I think it'll help him. He's a good kid. But it's a situation where I have to make a decision on what gives us the best chance each and every night. There's been some struggles there, especially away from the puck. That's how young players, especially with this coach, are able to get on the ice, to understand that part of the game. We'll work with him and see where he goes with it."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

The Phoenix Coyotes have recalled goaltender Chad Johnson and defenseman David Rundblad from Portland of the American Hockey League.

Johnson was an emergency recall. Goaltender Mike Smith left Phoenix's game Wednesday night with what the team called a lower-body injury, and Jason Labarbera finished the Coyotes' 5-1 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"Basically we caught it very early," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett told Fox Sports Arizona's Todd Walsh. "Hopefully it's nothing that lingers on too long."

Johnson has six games of NHL experience with the New York Rangers, and is 14-8-0 with a 2.80 goals against average and .912 save percentage this season for Portland in the AHL.

Rundblad has appeared in one of Phoenix's three games this season. A first-round pick in 2009, Rundblad was the return for Kyle Turris in a trade with Ottawa during last season.

He is back with the team because Rostislav Klesla is out with a lower-body injury.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks played spoilers on their two-game road trip, ruining home openers for the Calgary Flames then Edmonton Oilers.

Consider those games as two red-flag warnings as the Sharks approach their home opener tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes at HP Pavilion. As the Sharks learned first-hand, the emotions and distractions surrounding home openers can make it tough on the home teams.

"I don't think the home teams have done well," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said after his team's morning skate at HP. "We have to be aware of that. Once the ceremonies are over, we have to be focused."

Thornton said he expects the scene at HP tonight to be "pretty crazy" and that the key for the Sharks will be to keep their emotions in check.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan said the fact he has a mature group of players, most of whom have been through plenty of home openers, should help the Sharks cope with an emotional night.

"I'd like to think we'll be prepared," McLellan said.

After last season, the Sharks certainly won't look past Phoenix. The Coyotes won the season series 4-1-1 and captured the Pacific Division crown, ending San Jose's four-year reign.

Phoenix goalie Mike Smith had three shutouts against San Jose last season, but it's likely the Sharks won't have to face him tonight. Smith has a lower-body injury that forced him to leave the Coyotes' 5-1 victory Wednesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets midway through the first period. Backup Jason LaBarbera took over against Columbus and will likely start tonight.

McClellan said Smith's "puck handling skills are so good" it's like facing "three defensemen instead of two." If LaBarbera starts, the Sharks won't have to be as concerned about "puck placement," McClellan added.

Here are how the lineups could look tonight when the San Jose Sharks face the Phoenix Coyotes:

SHARKS

Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski

Martin Havlat - Logan Couture - Ryane Clowe

Tommy Wingels - Michal Handzus - TJ Galiardi

James Sheppard - Andrew Desjardins - Adam Burish

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Brad Stuart

Matthew Irwin - Dan Boyle

Douglas Murray - Justin Braun

Antti Niemi

Thomas Greiss

Scott Gomez, who signed a one-year free agent contract Wednesday with the Sharks, won't suit up tonight. Coach Todd McClellan said he wants Gomez to have at least one more practice with his new team before he plays and that there's a chance he could make his debut Saturday against Colorado.

"I'm not here to ruffle feathers," Gomez said. "I'm part of this group now. When you get put in, you get put in."

Fourth-line forward Frazer McLaren was in the lineup for the season-opener against Calgary, but Sheppard took his spot against Edmonton. McLellan said he had yet to decide which one will play tonight.

COYOTES

Steve Sullivan - Antoine Vermette - Shane Doan

Mikkel Boedker - Matthew Lombardi - Radim Vrbata

Lauri Korpikoski - Boyd Gordon - David Moss

Paul Bissonnette - Alexandre Bolduc - Kyle Chipchura

Zbynek Michalek - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Keith Yandle - Derek Morris

Michael Stone - David Schlemko

Jason LaBarbera

Chad Johnson

After playing Wednesday night, Phoenix didn't have a morning skate in San Jose, although defenseman Rostislav Klesla and forward Martin Hanzal were on the ice. Both missed Wednesday's game with lower body injuries and are day-to-day. After Wednesday's game, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said the team would bring up Johnson from Portland of the AHL as an emergency call-up with Mike Smith nursing a lower-body injury.