NHL Buzz: Tavares misses game for Maple Leafs against Flyers

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Throughout the 2021-22 season, NHL.com will have you covered with the latest news

Toronto Maple Leafs

John Tavares did not play in a 3-0 win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
The center sustained an undisclosed injury in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.
Forward Ondrej Kase also sustained an undisclosed injury against the Kings, but he played 12:29 and scored a goal against the Flyers.
Forwards Joey Anderson and Kirill Semyonov were recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League and practiced Tuesday. Semyonov had one shot on goal and three hits in 11:40 in his NHL debut against the Flyers.
Defenseman Justin Holl was plus-2 with one hit and four blocked shots in 20:18 against Philadelphia after being scratched the previous five games. -- Dave McCarthy

#

Ottawa Senators

Josh Brown was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday.
The defenseman is the sixth Senators player in protocol, joining defensemen
Victor Mete
and
Nick Holden
, and forwards
Austin Watson
, Connor Brown and
Dylan Gambrell
.
Ottawa, which lost to the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Tuesday, is not practicing Wednesday for precautionary reasons. The Senators also canceled practice Monday.
Josh Brown had one shot on goal in 15:32 of ice time against the Bruins. He has no points in 12 games this season.
"I'm proud of the group with the guys that were out and the effort we gave," Senators coach D.J. Smith said Tuesday. "If we keep playing with that effort and that hunger, not only will wins come, but the morale in general will be better."
Forwards
Scott Sabourin
and
Egor Sokolov
were recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Monday; Sokolov made his NHL debut against the Bruins. Defenseman Erik Brannstrom was recalled from Belleville on Sunday.
The Senators host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel will each be a game-time decision at the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
The defensemen were cleared from NHL COVID-19 protocol Tuesday, skating alone at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, with the Penguins on the road for a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Pettersson and Ruhwedel practiced Wednesday for the first time since entering protocol Oct. 31.
"Great to have Marcus and Chad back out there today," Penguins assistant Todd Reirden said. "In these situations, you just kind of have to take it day by day and see how they react. … We'll reevaluate that tomorrow after the morning skate."
Pettersson and Ruhwedel were together on a defense pair during line rushes.
Center
Sidney Crosby
, defenseman
Brian Dumoulin
and coach Mike Sullivan remain in protocol. Crosby and Dumoulin have been unavailable since Nov. 3; Sullivan entered protocol Nov. 4.
Reirden said Crosby and Sullivan continue to improve from their symptoms. Dumoulin is asymptomatic.
Pettersson and Ruhwedel skated with center Evgeni Malkin before practice Wednesday and joined their teammates about an hour later. Malkin is expected to be out until at least December after having knee surgery June 4. -- Wes Crosby

Washington Capitals

Nic Dowd was placed on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury.
The forward was injured in the second period of a 5-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. He has one goal in nine games this season.
"He's going to be a little bit," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said Wednesday. "I don't think it's anything major, so I'm hoping we see him back after IR."
Forward
Aliaksei Protas
was recalled from Hershey of the American Hockey League. He has one goal in one NHL game this season, and has five points (one goal, four assists) in eight AHL games.
Goalie
Zach Fucale
also was recalled from Hersey; he is 3-0-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in five AHL games.
Capitals goalie Vitek Vanecek (3-2-3, 2.51 GAA, .906 save percentage) appeared to be shaken up in a collision late in the game Monday, although he was at practice Wednesday.
"We're still assessing things and looking at things in the locker room," Laviolette said. "Three goalies (also Ilya Samsonov) will travel with us (to Detroit). We have room on the roster right now so we will take three goalies with us."
Washington also assigned forward Hendrix Lapierre to Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The 19-year-old forward scored one goal in six NHL games.
The Capitals visit the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Montreal Canadiens

Cedric Paquette is expected to be out at least 10 days because of an undisclosed injury.
The forward played 3:46 in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. He has no points in 10 games this season.
Forward Jonathan Drouin is day to day (headaches). He has not played since he was struck in the head by a shot by teammate Brett Kulak on Nov. 2.
Montreal hosts the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Chicago Blackhwaks

Brandon Hagel will be out two weeks because of a shoulder injury.
The forward was injured during a 2-1 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on Sunday after losing his balance and falling awkwardly in the third period. Coach Derek King was hopeful Hagel would only miss one game.
"It did look a lot worse than after we assessed it after a couple of days, it's a couple of weeks," King said Wednesday. "I mean, we're going miss him, but at least it's only two weeks."
Hagel has scored six points (four goals, two assists) in 13 games this season.
Forwards
Tyler Johnson
and defenseman
Isaak Phillips
were removed from COVID-19 protocol Wednesday.
The Blackhawks host the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.