NHL Buzz: Stutzle game-time decision for Senators against Blue Jackets

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Ottawa Senators

Tim Stutzle
will be a game-time decision when the Senators visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The forward was hip-checked by Travis Dermott of the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and briefly left during the 4-3 shootout win.
Stutzle did not practice in Columbus on Thursday but did skate on his own Friday morning.
"If he can't go, we'll have to recall someone," Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said.
The Senators do not have another healthy forward traveling, so if a call-up from Belleville from the American Hockey League does not arrive in time, defenseman Victor Mete may play.
Stutzle is second on the Senators with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) and leads them with 20 road assists this season. -- Craig Merz

New York Rangers

Andrew Copp and Filip Chytil did not practice Friday and are day to day.
Neither forward is expected to play when the Rangers visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, NHL LIVE).
Copp sustained a lower-body injury during the Rangers' 6-3 win against the New York Islanders on Thursday. He scored a natural hat trick in the first period and then sustained an injury in the third. He did not play in the final 8:05 of the game.
Chytil sustained an upper-body injury Thursday. He played 13:01 and did not have a point in the victory, his fourth game after missing two with an injury.
Copp has scored an NHL career-high 21 goals and 53 points in 71 games this season, 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 15 games since the Rangers acquired him in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets on March 21.
Chytil has scored 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 64 games this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jeff Carter will play when Penguins visit the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (12:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, BSDETX, ATTSN-PT, NHL LIVE).
The forward was a full participant at practice Friday after leaving late in the third period of a 4-0 win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday because of a lower-body injury. Carter moved from second-line center to the same position on the third line.
Evgeni Malkin will return Saturday from his four-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki on April 10. He was second-line center in practice with left wing Evan Rodrigues and right wing Bryan Rust.
Sidney Crosby remained the center on the first line and Teddy Blueger centered the fourth line.
"We haven't had the semblance of our four centericemen in the lineup together very often this year," coach Mike Sullivan said. "To have those guys down the middle, we believe we have a strong middle with those four centers that we can roll over the boards."
Rodrigues replaced Jason Zucker, who did not practice because of a non-COVID-19 illness after he scored a goal Thursday. Zucker will travel to Detroit, Sullivan said. -- Wes Crosby