NHL Buzz: Seguin game-time decision for Stars

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Dallas Stars

Tyler Seguin will be a game-time decision for the Stars against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, SNE, TVAS, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The forward has missed the past six games after suffering 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.
"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 (38-19-14) are tied with the Minnesota Wild for first in the Central Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Tristan Jarry is unavailable against the Stars on Thursday because of a lower-body injury.
There is no timetable for Jarry's return, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. The goalie made 28 saves in a 5-2 win at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Jarry, who is 21-10-6 with a 2.98 goals-against average and .908 save percentage this season, missed seven games with a lower-body injury sustained in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2. He returned Jan. 20 and started two games before being sidelined another nine with an upper-body injury.
Casey DeSmith will start for Pittsburgh against Dallas. Dustin Tokarski is expected to back up after being recalled on an emergency basis from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
Forward Filip Hallander was also an emergency recall with forwards Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker each a game-time decision because of an undisclosed injury.
"Those guys are en route," Sullivan said of Tokarski and Hallander. "Should arrive, hopefully, by game time."
Guentzel had two points (one goal, one assist) in 19:11 of ice time Wednesday. He is third on the Penguins with 64 points (31 goals, 33 assists) in 67 games.
Zucker, who had one assist in 14:00 against Colorado, has 24 goals in 67 games. He has gone five straight games without a goal since scoring nine in eight games from Feb. 26-March 12. -- Wes Crosby

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Washington Capitals

Darcy Kuemper started for the Capitals when they hosted the Chicago Blackhawks after missing two games with an upper-body injury.
Kuemper hadn't played since a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday, when he allowed four goals on 21 shots, before leaving in the middle of practice Saturday. Backup Charlie Lindgren played in his absence.
Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk also returned for Washington. He missed the Capitals' 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday following the birth of his son late Monday night. -- Tom Gulitti

Vegas Golden Knights

Logan Thompson will make his first start in 19 games when the Vegas Golden Knights play the Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SNW, ATTSN-RM, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Thompson, who backed up Jonathan Quick in a 4-3 win at the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, had been out since sustaining a lower-body injury Feb. 9.
"I just want to get out there and knock some rust off, you know, try and be in control and not too nervous," Thompson said Thursday. "Six weeks is a long time, so hopefully I can find my game early and just settle in there."
Thompson is 20-13-3 with a 2.66 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in 36 games this season.
"Logan's ready to go," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Just give us a chance to win. That's what we want out of the goaltender every night. Don't have to win the hockey game for us but give us a chance. Timely saves, and hopefully he's able to do that."
Forward Nicolas Roy, who missed 14 games because of a lower-body injury, will also return. Roy, who has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 54 games, is expected to center a line with Phil Kessel and Chandler Stephenson.
"He's missed quite a bit of time here," Cassidy said. "When guys are cleared, you've got to get them right back in there. We don't have a lot of time left here, so get them up to speed."
Vegas (44-21-6) leads the Los Angeles Kings by two points for first in the Western Conference and Pacific Division.-- Aaron Vickers

Montreal Canadiens

Jake Evans returned for the Canadiens against the Boston Bruins after missing 28 games with a lower-body injury.
"I've been thinking about this return for quite some time now," Evans said. "I'm feeling great out there, and I'm just happy to be back with the team."
The forward was third-line center during Thursday's morning skate. He hadn't played since Jan. 14 in Montreal's 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders after he was injured on a hit to his leg.
"I was pretty worried for a second because it felt like my knee kind of just separated from my body for a second], and honestly, [I
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"We're trying to put four lines out there that's going to give us the best chance," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. "I think we're really focused on our brand and how we want to play."-- Joe Pohoryles

San Jose Sharks

Radim Simek will return for the Sharks against the Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SNP, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW) after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman has missed 30 of the past 33 games. He has two points (one goal, one assist) in 34 games this season and ranks first on the team with 6.7 blocks per 60 minutes.
"He's in a good spot, so he's ready to go," San Jose coach David Quinn said Wednesday.
Simek will replace defenseman Derrick Pouliot, and forward Jacob Peterson will replace Andreas Johnsson. Peterson will make his Sharks debut; he was acquired in a trade with the Stars on March 3.

Vancouver Canucks

Oliver Ekman-Larsson won't play again this season because of a left ankle injury the defenseman sustained Feb. 15.
"No, I don't think so," coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. "He's off the cast, he's walking now, and he's really worked hard the last 3-4 weeks, and this is a big summer for him."
Ekman-Larsson was injured trying to make a hit in the first period of a game against the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old had 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 54 games this season but was minus-24, the worst rating on the Canucks (31-34-5) entering their home game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, NBCSCA, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Ekman-Larsson was traded to Vancouver by the Arizona Coyotes on July 24, 2021. He had 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) and was plus-5 in 79 games in 2021-22, his first season with the Canucks. He has four seasons remaining on the eight-year, $66 million contract ($8.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Coyotes on July 1, 2018.
"I know a lot of people count him out," said Tocchet, who coached Ekman-Larsson for four seasons (2017-2021) in Arizona. "I got a feeling he's going to have a really good year. There's a gleam in his eye. I can tell he's going to use this as motivation. Things haven't gone his way a bunch of years now and I think this is something he's going to take this summer to another level. I really believe it."-- Kevin Woodley

Buffalo Sabres

Eric Comrie could return for the Sabres this weekend.
The goalie has been out six games with a lower-body injury sustained in practice March 10. He returned to practice Monday.
"I've been back at practice a couple days now and I'm feeling really good," Comrie said Thursday. "I'm feeling ready to go, so whenever the team gives me a chance, I'll be ready to go."
Buffalo hosts the New Jersey Devils on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B; MSG, ESPN+, SN NOW) and plays at the New York Islanders on Saturday.
"He should be available this week," coach Don Granato said.
Comrie previously missed seven weeks from Nov. 17-Jan. 9 with a lower-body injury. He is 8-9-0 in 17 games this season, with a 3.95 goals-against average and .877 save percentage.
Comrie had won four straight starts before his most recent game, when he allowed 10 goals on 49 shots in a 10-4 loss to the Stars on March 9.
"It's been frustrating all year, kind of," Comrie said. "Playing the first little bit, then we go through a bunch of injuries, then I get injured, out for a while. Come back, start feeling good, then that game happens and get hurt again. Definitely getting frustrated but, I mean, I just have to stay positive and stay in the process."
Jordan Greenway was back at practice Thursday but will not play Friday. The forward did not play in a 7-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury. Greenway, who was acquired from the Wild on March 3, has one goal in eight games with the Sabres.
"He was out there and that was a good sign," Granato said. "But I think he still has a little bit to go."-- Heather Engel