NHL buzz: Price starts again for Canadiens

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

#

Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price made his second start of the season for the Canadiens against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
"It's kind of going to be a day-to-day type of thing," Price said Monday after practice. "I haven't seen a lot of reps in games and I still feel like my conditioning level could increase, so it's all going to be how I feel the next day after."
Price had arthroscopic knee surgery July 23 to repair a torn meniscus. He resumed skating Sept. 16 but entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for substance use Oct. 7. He made 17 saves in his season debut, a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on April 15. It was his first start since Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on July 7.
"It's been pretty good," Price said when asked about his knee. "You know, it's nice to get back into game action and even when I wasn't playing, being on the bench, and taking the game from ice level. So I thought I had a good practice again today in getting ready for tomorrow."
The 34-year-old is Montreal's leader in wins (360) and games played by a goalie (708). He has four seasons remaining after this one on an eight-year contract he signed July 2, 2017.
"I just want to be able to finish playing at an acceptable level and I don't know how long that is," Price said. "But, at the end of the day, I want to be able to say that I left the game playing well and not being a burden." -- Mike G. Morreale

Columbus Blue Jackets

Zach Werenski will not play because of an upper-body injury when the Blue Jackets visit the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, BSOH, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The defenseman had 1:23 in ice time in a 6-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday before leaving with the injury. He is expected to be reevaluated before the Blue Jackets' next game against the Ottawa Senators at home on Friday.
Werenski leads Blue Jackets defensemen with 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) in 67 games this season.
Patrik Laine will miss a second straight game with an upper-body injury. Columbus has not said when the forward will return.
Laine leads the Blue Jackets with 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games this season. -- Chelena Goldman

#

Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm will not not play for the Bruins for their two-game road trip this week but each is expected to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season.
Pastrnak has missed six games after the forward sustained an undisclosed injury in the third period of a 3-2 overtime win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 4. Lindholm has missed the past five games after the defenseman sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 5.
Each player skated before practice Monday. The Bruins visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
"That's the plan is they should be ready that week before [the Stanley Cup Playoffs] and maybe as early as this weekend," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I'm ruling them out for Tuesday and Thursday (at the Pittsburgh Penguins), not Saturday (against the New York Rangers) or Sunday (at the Montreal Canadiens).
"[Pastrnak's] had a lot of playoff games (63) over the years. Lindholm not as many (55) recently, but certainly has played. For them, it's getting their game back in order, their timing, etcetera."
The Bruins have qualified for the playoffs and are the first wild card from the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for third in the Atlantic Division.
Goalie Linus Ullmark did not skate Monday and is unavailable on the road trip and forward Jesper Froden, who sustained a lower-body injury late in a 2-1 win against the Penguins on Saturday, is also not available, Cassidy said. Curtis Lazar was taking reps with Taylor Hall and Erik Haula in Froden's absence.
Patrice Bergeron took a maintenance day but the center is expected to play Tuesday. -- Mike G. Morreale

Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser scored a goal and had three points in his return in a 6-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Monday after missing five games with an arm injury.
The forward practiced Saturday for the first time since sustaining the injury against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 3. He left in the second period holding his right arm after colliding with linemate Elias Pettersson, returned for the third and hadn't played since.
"Obviously it (stinks) to miss time at this time of the year, especially when our team is pushing hard right now and I'm just excited that I can get back in the lineup and help out," Boeser said before the game "These are the games you play for all year and to be in this position says a lot about our group after the start we had."
Vancouver has won six in a row to move four points points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division and five points the Stars and Nashville Predators, who are tied for the two wild card spots from the Western Conference.
Boeser has scored 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 65 games this season.
Matthew Highmore returned against Dallas after the forward missed nine games with an upper-body injury. He had two shots on goal in 14:13 of ice time.
"It's the biggest game of the year," Highmore said before the game. "I feel like we're saying that a lot, but it really is so looking forward to it."
Highmore has scored 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 40 games. -- Kevin Woodley

#

Minnesota Wild

Marcus Foligno was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol Monday.
The forward will not play at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, BSN, BSWIX, ESPN+, NHL LIVE). The Wild then play back-to-back home games against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken on Thursday and Friday.
Foligno has scored 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in 71 games and leads the Wild with 234 hits.
Minnesota recalled forward Mitchell Chaffee from Iowa of the American Hockey League and he could make his NHL debut Tuesday. Chaffee leads Iowa with 22 goals in 45 games this season.

Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Murphy may not play again this season, despite the defenseman joining the Blackhawks at practice Friday for the first time since he sustained a concussion more than a month ago.
"It's looking that way [that Murphy won't play] but you know, he skated a couple days ago when we were here, he skated and he said he felt pretty good," Blackhawks coach Derek King said before Chicago's 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday.
The Blackhawks, who have been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention, have six regular-season games remaining.
"It's probably going to be a decision where it's just, 'Yeah, let me get a couple of games in before the season ends,' or he's just going to say, 'You know what? It's not worth it right now,' especially the position we're in," King said. "Either way, you've got to respect his decisions, right?"
Murphy was taken off on a stretcher in the first period of Chicago's 6-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on March 12 and has missed 15 games. He has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 57 games this season. -- Tracey Myers