NHL Buzz: Lindgren to return for Rangers against Hurricanes

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New York Rangers

Ryan Lindgren will return when the Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Lindgren missed 11 games after he was injured in the first period of a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 25, when his left shoulder was driven into the boards because of a hit from forward T.J. Oshie.
He has 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 57 games this season.
"It's been tough," Lindgren said. "Obviously, it's been a long time, but it feels good to get back in there tonight. I'm feeling good and excited for the game."
Lindgren said his recovery took longer than he expected.
"You just want to make sure when you get back out there you can play the way you want to play and not hold back at all," Lindgren said. "So, yeah, it took a little bit longer, but I'm there now and feeling good."
He said he knew he'd be able to play Tuesday after testing himself in shooting drills and some physical contact drills.
"It's just the last couple of skates I've felt better and better shooting the puck and getting a little physical out there too with some guys, just kind of testing it," Lindgren said. "I just felt like today was the day, back to 100 percent."
The Rangers (41-19-10) have won four games in a row and six of seven (6-0-1). They are third in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind the Hurricanes (45-15-8), who are in first. -- Dan Rosen

Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach will return for the Canadiens against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, BSSUN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The two forwards have each been sidelined for extended periods by lower-body injuries.
Gallagher has played three games since Nov. 29, and none since Jan. 3. He has missed the past 32 games, and 45 of 48.
"The injuries that we've had seem to be unpreventable and just kind of bad luck situations," Gallagher said.
Gallagher will play right wing on a line with Alex Belzile and Mike Hoffman. He has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 25 games.
"Gallagher is
was assigned to Laval of the American Hockey League.-- Sean Farrell

Nashville Predators

Ryan McDonagh is expected to return against the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman has missed four games with an upper-body injury. Deemed on Sunday by coach John Hynes as a possibility to play this week, McDonagh was a full participant in the morning skate Tuesday.
"He should be good [to play], yeah," Hynes said.
McDonagh has 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) and is second on the Predators with 126 blocked shots in 57 games this season.
Nashville captain Roman Josi was not on the ice for the morning skate. Hynes said the defenseman, who missed a 7-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday with an upper-body injury, is still day to day. Josi was injured in the first period of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
Josi leads the Predators with 59 points (18 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games.-- Heather Engel

Boston Bruins

Derek Forbort is expected to miss the rest of the regular season for the Bruins after the defenseman was injured against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Forbort was injured blocking a shot late in the second period. Coach Jim Montgomery said that Forbort will not need surgery.
The Bruins, who play the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NESN, RDS2, TSN5, ESPN+, SN NOW), have been rotating their defensemen since acquiring Dmitry Orlov from the Capitals on Feb. 23.
Forbort has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 54 games this season. He is averaging 17:44 per game, sixth among Bruins defensemen. -- Amalie Benjamin

Washington Capitals

Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and defenseman Nick Jensen could play for the Capitals against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW) after being full participants in their morning skate.
Kuznetsov sustained an upper-body injury on a hit from Matt Dumba in the third period of Washington's 5-3 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. Jensen has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury.
"Definitely dealing with some stuff inside the room here today," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "We're going to go back and find out about a few things we're dealing with."
Although defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk missed Washington's morning skate because his wife is due to give birth, Laviolette did not rule him out to play against the Blue Jackets.
Defenseman John Carlson skated in a regular jersey for the second day in a row after previously skating in a non-contact jersey and is close to returning from a skull fracture that has sidelined him since Dec. 23, but won't play Tuesday.
"Not tonight," Laviolette said. "Hopefully he just keeps moving in the right direction. That one I do know. Not tonight."
Goalie Darcy Kuemper also skated for the second straight day but will miss his second game in a row with an upper-body injury.-- Tom Gulitti

Vegas Golden Knights

Logan Thompson will return to back up against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, ATTSN-RM, ESPN+, SN NOW) after the goalie missed almost six weeks with a lower-body injury.
Thompson was injured in 5-1 win against the Wild on Feb. 9, five days after the 26-year-old rookie played in his first NHL All-Star Game for the Pacific Division. Thompson, who is 20-13-3 with a .914 save percentage in 36 games this season, could play on the Golden Knights' three-game road trip.
Jonathan Quick will start against the Canucks, his seventh in eight games after the goalie was acquired from the Blue Jackets on March 2.
Laurent Brossoit, who has been out since Feb. 25 with a lower body injury, is also traveling, and the goalie could play before the end of the trip, which continues at the Calgary Flames on Thursday and Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
"I can't tell you who is going to play every game this week," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "More than one of them is going to play this week, whether all three get in, health wise, how are the other ones doing will probably determine that as much as anything."
Brossoit, who started the season with Henderson of the American Hockey League after offseason hip surgery, was 1-0-2 with a .936 save percentage in three games with Vegas from Feb. 21-25 before sustaining the injury.
"Let's hope [Thompson] and [Brossoit] find their game," Cassidy said. "How many starts can we give them to truly do that? That's going to be the tough part. I'm not that worried about it. As long as they are playing well, hopefully it won't matter." -- Kevin Woodley

Toronto Maple Leafs

Noel Acciari is expected to return for the Maple Leafs against the New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, TVAS, TSN4).
The forward practiced Monday after he did not play in a 5-4 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. He took a high hit from Jesse Puljujarvi at 19:45 of the first period in a 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and did not return.
"He looked good on the ice," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday. "He's had good days since he left the game the other night, so all signs point towards him being available tomorrow."
Acciari practiced at right wing on a line with center David Kampf and left wing Zach Aston-Reese.
"Feel good," Acciari said Monday. "Glad to be back out there with the guys. Happy to be out there. I watched the hit a couple times. He was trying to hold the line, I was trying to backcheck and it caught me off guard when he put his hands up, that's all."
Acciari has three goals in 13 games with the Maple Leafs since he was acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 18.
TJ Brodie will not play Tuesday. He did not practice Monday after blocking a shot against the Senators, and Keefe said the defenseman is day to day.
Brodie has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 47 games this season. -- Dave McCarthy

Dallas Stars

Tyler Seguin was a full participant at the optional practice Monday.
The forward suffered a laceration to his leg in a 10-4 win at the Buffalo Sabres on March 9. Seguin and Sabres forward Jordan Greenway fought for the puck along the boards in the first period before Greenway's skate caught Seguin on the top of his left knee between his pads.
Seguin has missed the past five games for the Stars (38-19-13), who lead the Colorado Avalanche and Wild by one point in the Central Division.
"I saw him yesterday just in an optional, today was the first day back with the group," Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday. "Got the stitches out, he looks good. It's just a matter now of when he can start taking contact and doing things like that. Definitely on the horizon. I would say an option this week potentially."
The Stars play three games in five days at home, beginning against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. -- Taylor Baird

Colorado Avalanche

Evan Rodrigues won't be available for the Avalanche when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS, SN NOW).
Rodrigues has entered concussion protocol following a hit from Connor Murphy in the second period of a 5-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
"[He's] not [feeling] great," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday. "He is in protocol."
Rodrigues left the game during the second intermission. He has 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 58 games this season.
Darren Helm, who missed Monday's morning skate with an illness, could possibly return.
"I don't know yet," Bednar said of his availability.
Helm has been out since Jan. 12 with a lower-body injury related to his off-season hip surgery. He previously missed the first 35 games of the season following his surgery before returning for five games in January.
Erik Johnson is also nearing a return following a broken ankle suffered on Feb. 11. The defenseman was a full participant in the morning skate Monday and during practice Tuesday
"He's doing well," Bednar said Monday. "Working his way back to a return, hopefully sooner rather than later."
Bednar said he didn't know if Johnson would be available Wednesday.-- Ryan Boulding