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Ice Chips: Leafs' Matthews will play vs. Bruins on Saturday

Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews - The Canadian Press
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.


Toronto Maple Leafs

Forward Auston Matthews participated in the Maple Leafs' morning skate and says he is ready to play against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

Matthews, 25, missed the team's last two games with an undisclosed injury that has "been lingering for a while", according to head coach Sheldon Keefe.

The 6-foot-3 superstar  has 20 goals and 47 points in 41 games this season.

Drafted first overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has 279 goals and 504 points in 448 career games.

Forwards Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann were absent from practice due to an illness and aren't expected to play according to TSN's Mark Masters

Holmberg, 23, has four goals and 11 points in 28 games this season.

McMann, 26, was recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Jan. 10 due to Matthews' undisclosed injury.

The 6-foot-2 forward played two games for the Maple Leafs this season and did not record a point.

Additionally, Matt Murray will get the start against the Bruins on Saturday.

Murray, 28, has an 11-4-2 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.48 goals-against average this season.

The Maple Leafs used these lines during Saturday's morning skate prior to their game against the Bruins, according to Masters:

Bunting - Matthews - Nylander
Jarnkrok - Tavares - Marner
Aston-Reese - Kampf - Engvall
Hunt - Kerfoot - Simmonds

Rielly - Timmins
Giordano - Holl
Sandin - Liljegren
Ben

Absent: Holmberg, McMann 


Montreal Canadiens

Sam Montembeault is expected to start on Saturday night against the New York Islanders.

Montembeault, 26, has a 7-6-2 record this season with a .902 save percentage and 3.39 goals-against average this season.

The 6-foot-3 netminder was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers in October of 2021.

Montembeault was drafted 77th overall by the Panthers in 2015 and has a career 24-32-11 record with a .894 save percentage and 3.51 goals-against average.

The Canadiens used these lines during Saturday's morning skate prior to Saturday's game against the Islanders:

Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Dadonov - Evans - Armia
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Anderson
Hoffman/Pezzetta - Drouin - Ylonen

Edmundson - Savard
Harris - Kovacevic
Xhekaj - Wideman
Matheson - Barron

Montembeault
Primeau
Allen


Columbus Blue Jackets

Forwards Boone Jenner and Eric Robinson will return to the lineup on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, according to head coach Brad Larsen.

Jenner, 29, missed the team's last 11 games while recovering from a broken thumb.

The 6-foot-2 captain has 11 goals and 22 points in 30 games this season.

Jenner was drafted 37th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2011 NHL Draft and has 155 goals and 306 points in 619 career games.

Robinson, 27, missed the Blue Jackets last five games with an upper-body injury.

The 6-foot-2 forward has three goals and 10 points in 34 games this season.

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent, Robinson has 28 goals and 67 points in 221 career games with the Blue Jackets.

Forward Cole Sillinger and defenceman Gavin Bayreuther are expected to sit out on Saturday to make room for the two forwards.

Additionally, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins will start against the Red Wings on Saturday.

The 28-year-old netminder has a 4-11-0 record with an .865 save percentage and 4.62 goals-against average this season.

The Blue Jackets activated Jenner, Robinson and goaltender Daniil Tarasov off injured reserve and assigned defenceman Marcus Bjork to the AHL's Cleveland Monsters on Saturday.

Tarasov, 23, has a 2-8-1 record with a .907 save percentage and 3.40 goals-against average this season.

Bjork, 25, has three goals and 11 points in 26 games with the Blue Jackets this season.

The 6-foot-4 defenceman also has two goals and five points in 11 games with the Monsters this season.

Additionally, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo will not be available to the Blue Jackets on Saturday for personal reasons.

Korpisalo, 28, has a 6-8-1 record with a .908 save percentage and 3.28 goals against average this season.

The Blue Jackets are projected to use these lines against the Red Wings:

Gaudreau - Roslovic - Laine
Robinson - Jenner - Nyquist
Roudy - Kuraly - Olivier
Marchenko - Johnson - Bemstrom

Gavrikov - Peeke
Berni - Gudbranson
Blankenburg - Boqvist

Merzlikins
Tarasov 


New York Rangers

The Rangers were missing five players from their practice on Saturday morning.

Forwards Julien Gauthhier (upper-body), Chris Kreider (upper-body), Artemi Panarin (illness), Vitali Kravtsov (illness), and defenceman Ryan Lindgren (illness) all missed Saturday's practice.

Gauthier hasn't skated since the Rangers 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday and will not play against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

The 25-year-old winger has six goals and nine points in 32 games this season.

Kreider did skate on his own on Saturday but is considered doubtful for Sunday's game against the Canadiens.

The 31-year-old forward has 19 goals and 30 points in 42 games this season.

Panarin, Kravtsov, and Lindgren are expected to play against the Canadiens on Sunday, according to head coach Gerard Gallant.


Carolina Hurricanes

Forward Max Pacioretty will miss Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury and is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks, according to head coach Rod Brind'Amour.

Pacioretty, 34, was forced to leave Thursday's 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets after just over three minutes of ice time.

The 6-foot-2 winger missed the team's first 38 games of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles injury.

Pacioretty has three goals in four games this season.

The New Canaan, Conn. native was acquired by the Hurricanes, along with defenceman Dylan Coghlan, in the off-season from the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations.

The Hurricanes are projected to use these lines for Saturday's game against the Penguins:

Teravainen - Aho - Jarvis
Svechnikov - Stastny - Necas
Martinook - Staal - Fast
Stepan - Kotkaniemi - Noesen

Slavin - Burns
Skjei - Pesce
de Haan - Chatfield

Andersen


Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche recalled forward Sampo Ranta from the AHL's Colorado Eagles on Saturday.

Ranta, 22, appeared in five games with the Avalanche this season but did not record a point.

The 6-foot-2 winger has five goals and 10 points in 26 games with the Eagles this season.

Ranta was drafted 78th overall by the Avalanche in the 2018 NHL Draft and has played 15 NHL games and is looking for his first-career NHL point.


Nashville Predators

The Predators recalled defenceman Roland McKeown from the AHL's Miilwaukee Admirals on Saturday.

McKeown, 26, appeared in five games with the Predators this season but did not record a point.

The 6-foot-1 defenceman has two goals and eight points in 25 games with the Admirals this season.

McKeown was drafted 50th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 NHL Draft and has three assists in 15 career games split between the Carolina Hurricanes and Predators.


Buffalo Sabres

Forward Zemgus Girgensons did not travel with the team to Nashville for their game against the Predators on Saturday,

Girgensons, 29, missed Friday's practice with a non-COVID related illness.

The 6-foot-2 forward has four goals and 10 points in 39 games this season.


Calgary Flames

The Flames are projected to use these lines for Saturday's game against the Dallas Stars:

Dube - Lindholm - Toffoli
Lucic - Kadri - Huberdeau
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Lewis - Ruzicka - Duehr

Hanifin - Andersson
Weegar - Tanev
Zadorov - Stone

Markstrom
Vladar


St. Louis Blues

Defenceman Nick Leddy will return to the lineup on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to head coach Craig Berube.

Leddy, 31, missed the team's last four games due to an upper-body injury.

The 6-foot defenceman has 11 assists in 39 games this season.

The Blues are projected to use these lines for Saturday's game against the Lightning:

Buchnevich - Thomas - Kyrou
Saad - Schenn - Barbashev
Neighbours - Acciari - Leivo
Toropchenko - Alexandrov - Pitlick

Mikkola - Parayko
Leddy - Faulk
Tucker - Rosen

Binnington


Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights recalled forward Byron Froese from the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights on Saturday.

Froese, 31, has only appeared in one game with the Golden Knights this season and did not record a point.

The 6-foot-1 forward has eight goals and 27 points in 36 games with the Silver Knights this season.

Froese was drafted 119th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2009 NHL Draft and has six goals and 17 points in 117 career games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, and Golden Knights.


Florida Panthers

Forward Anthony Duclair participated in his first full team skate this season on Saturday in a non-contact jersey, according to head coach Paul Maurice,

Duclair, 27, underwent surgery to repair his Achilles tendon in the offseason and Maurice says there's a chance he could return prior to the all-star break.

The 5-foot-11 winger had the best season of his career in 2021-22 registering 31 goals and 58 points in 74 games.

Duclair signed as an unrestricted free agent in December of 2020 and has 120 goals and 252 points in 470 career games split between the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Panthers.

The Panthers are projected to use these lines against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, according to team reporter Jameson Olive:

Lundell - Barkov - Reinhart
Verhaeghe - Bennett - Tkachuk
Luostarinen - E. Staal - Cousins
Lomberg - White - Smith

Forsling - Ekblad
M. Staal - Montour
Mahura - Gudas

Bobrovsky
Lyon