Patrick Sharp returns tonight vs. Panthers

Patrick Sharp will be back in the lineup tonight when the Dallas Stars take on the Florida Panthers at American Airlines Center. Sharp has missed the past 12 games with a concussion.
"I feel pretty good," Sharp said. "I had some time off to clear some things up, and I am excited to rejoin the team. The team is playing well, and it's a big game for us tonight."
This is the second time Sharp has missed extended time with a concussion this season. He missed 14 games from Oct. 22 - Nov. 17. Sharp has been limited to just 11 games this season.
"It's always difficult when you are out of the lineup for any period of time, let alone three or four weeks," Sharp said. "It's always a challenge getting back in that first shift. You're probably a little more anxious than you need to be."
The Stars held an optional skate this morning and didn't run lines, so it's not clear where Sharp will fit into the lineup tonight.
"He'll get a regular shift and play a little bit of power play time," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's obviously been a while, but he's had lots of good practices and been skating well."

With Sharp coming back in tonight, it appears Adam Cracknell will be the healthy scratch at forward. Cracknell skated late with defensemen Stephen Johns and Patrik Nemeth, who are the two expected scratches on the blue line.
Antti Niemi was the first goaltender off the ice at this morning's skate, so he is expected to get the start in goal tonight. Niemi is 7-2-2 at home with a 1.95 goals-against average and .936 save percentage.
The Stars (16-14-7) come into tonight's game on a three-game winning streak and five-game points streak (4-0-1). They are 5-1-1 in their past seven games.
"[This run] has been very important," said Stars center Radek Faksa. "We had lots of home games and we had to take advantage of it. We've been playing very good, the goalies have been amazing and I think the special teams are huge and our discipline is huge, too. Those are the factors for our success now."
Panthers Watch
James Reimer was the first goaltender off the ice for the Panthers this morning, so it appears he will get the start in goal tonight for Florida. Reimer is 4-5-3 with a 2.73 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. He is coming off a 38-save performance in Florida's 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal on Thursday.
The Panthers (15-14-8) have lost four straight games, the last three in overtime or a shootout.
There are plenty of former Stars in Florida's lineup tonight, but one ex-Star won't play. Forward Colton Sceviour, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent this past off season, did not make the trip. He is out with a shoulder injury.
Formers Stars defenseman Jason Demers, who also signed with the Panthers this offseason, will be in the lineup. It will be Demers first regular season game against the Stars since signing with Florida.
"It hasn't quite settled in yet but once I get on the ice and see the guys it is going to be special," Demers said. "I had a lot of good memories with those guys and with these fans. It's going to be fun."
Other former Stars playing for Florida tonight include forwards Jaromir Jagr, Jussi Jokinen, and Reilly Smith. Smith is back in the lineup after missing two games due to a concussion.
Tonight's Game
Who: Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars
Where: American Airlines Center
When: 7:00 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Southwest
Radio: The Ticket 1310 AM/96.7 FM
Stars Projected Lineup
Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Jason Spezza
Curtis McKenzie - Radek Faksa - Brett Ritchie
Lauri Korpikoski - Devin Shore - Patrick Eaves
Jiri Hudler - Cody Eakin - Patrick Sharp
Esa Lindell - John Klingberg
Dan Hamhuis - Jamie Oleksiak
Johnny Oduya - Jordie Benn
Antti Niemi
Kari Lehtonen
Scratched: Stephen Johns, Patrik Nemeth, Adam Cracknell
Injured: Antoine Roussel (upper body), Mattias Janmark (knee), Ales Hemsky (hip)
Panthers Projected Lineup
Seth Griffith - Nick Bjugstad - Jaromir Jagr
Jonathan Marchessault - Vincent Trocheck - Reilly Smith
Jussi Jokinen - Michael Sgarbossa - Denis Malgin
Greg McKegg - Derek MacKenzie - Shawn Thornton
Keith Yandle - Aaron Ekblad
Jakub Kindl - Jason Demers
Michael Matheson - Mark Pysyk
James Reimer
Roberto Luongo
Scratched: Paul Thompson, Dylan McIlrath
Injured: Aleksander Barkov (lower-body), Jonathan Huberdeau (lower leg), Alex Petrovic (ankle), Colton Sceviour (shoulder)
This story was not subject to approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club. Mark Stepneski is an independent writer whose posts on DallasStars.com reflect his own opinions and do not represent official statements from the Dallas Stars. You can follow Mark on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.