OTTAWA – Jared Cowen practiced with the Ottawa Senators for the first time this season Wednesday. Cowen was sidelined with a torn labrum in his left hip sustained during a game with the Binghamton Senators in October. The defenseman had surgery in November and expected to miss the rest of the season.

Goalie Craig Anderson also worked out with the team Wednesday. Anderson sprained his ankle on Feb. 21 against the New York Rangers, and though he still has no set date for his return, he did not rule out being ready to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Here are the projected lineups for the Rangers and Senators on Thursday night at Scotiabank Place:

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Buffalo Sabres managed three goals and 32 shots in their past two games combined, and now they'll have to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday night without their leading scorer.

Coach Ron Rolston said after the morning skate Thursday that wing Thomas Vanek would miss the game because of an upper-body injury he sustained in Tuesday's 2-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

While Vanek will sit, struggling forward Drew Stafford will be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games.

TORONTO -- Randy Carlyle didn't beat around the bush.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs coach was asked what he needed from James van Riemsdyk, he smiled and said, "Goals."

The 23-year-old right wing will try to snap a five-game pointless drought Thursday night when the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes -- two teams battling for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Carolina defeated Toronto in the teams' previous two meetings this season.

Van Riemsdyk is third in Toronto scoring with 14 goals and 22 points in 34 games, but has one assist in his past seven games.

The top draft-eligible prospect from Europe on NHL Central Scouting's midterm list, center Aleksander Barkov of Tappara in Finland, will be sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb told NHL.com that Barkov sustained a shoulder injury on the first shift of his team's playoff game against IFK Helsinki on Wednesday. Tappara earned a 3-1 victory to take the best-of-7 series, 4-1.

"He will probably miss rest of the season," Stubb told NHL.com. "The injury will not affect his [high] draft status."

Barkov finished the regular season with 21 goals, 48 points and a plus-18 rating in 53 games for Tappara. He produced four assists and a plus-3 rating in five playoff matches.

The New York Rangers on Thursday put the finishing touches on the signing of Norwegian forward Mats Zuccarello.

According to sources, Zuccarello's deal is for a pro-rated $700,000 over the remainder of the NHl season. Zuccarello is with the team Thursday's game against the Ottawa Senators.

The New York Islanders hope to inch closer to a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference and avenge an earlier rout at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers when the teams meet Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center.

The Islanders enter Thursday in ninth place, two points behind the New York Rangers. In their only previous matchup against the Flyers this season, they suffered a 7-0 defeat on home ice in a Feb. 18 matinee.

Here are the projected lineups for Thursday's game:

CISCO NHL Live talks with Mr. T about scoring a goal during intermission, his rise to fame and the Chicago Blackhawks chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

SAN JOSE -- After missing four games with a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks forward Ryane Clowe will return to the lineup and skate on the third line Wednesday night against the Anaheim Ducks at HP Pavilion.

Clowe hasn't played since the first period against the Los Angeles Kings on March 16 when he aggravated a nagging shoulder injury.

"I feel good," Clowe said after the Sharks' morning skate. "I probably felt pretty good last game, but I just needed a couple extra skates. ... I had a little skate yesterday. I feel good today."

Clowe will skate on a line with center Joe Pavelski and left wing TJ Galiardi. James Sheppard will drop from the third line to the fourth line, bumping Adam Burish out of the lineup.

Derek Stepan

Center - NYR

GOALS: 10 | ASST: 15 | PTS: 25
SOG: 67 | +/-: 12

How things have changed.

After registering nine points in his first 18 games this season, Stepan has had points in 11 of his next 14 -- totaling 16 during that stretch. On Tuesday, the damage was done at the expense of the division rival Philadelphia Flyers, as the 22-year-old reeled off the first four-point game (1G, 3A, plus-3) of his three-year National Hockey League career.