NHL Player News

Clifton scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and logged seven hits in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Devils.

Clifton snapped a four-game slump with the tally. The 30-year-old defenseman has been in a part-time role for much of the season, limiting him to four points, 20 shots on net, 114 hits, 42 blocked shots, 31 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 27 appearances. Clifton appears to be preferred over Ilya Solovyov and Ryan Graves while Jack St. Ivany (hand) is out until late March.

Girard (lower body) will join the team for its trip to New York on Saturday, Dan Potash of Sportsnet Pittsburgh reports.

Girard is still being evaluated for his lower-body injury, but the fact that he is traveling with the team should bode well for his availability. In his first game with the Pens, the 27-year-old blueliner registered four blocks and one shot while logging 17:53 of ice time. If Girard does miss any time, it will likely open up a spot in the lineup for Ryan Graves or Ilya Solovyov.

Girard missed practice Friday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury.

Girard appears to have been injured in his Penguins debut against the Devils on Thursday. In that outing, the 27-year-old defenseman made four blocks, which may have resulted in his injury. If Girard does miss any time, it will open up a spot in the lineup for Ryan Graves or Ilya Solovyov.

Dobson scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders.

Facing his former team for the first time, Dobson gave the Habs a 2-0 lead with tallies in the first and second periods, but the ice tilted in New York's favor the rest of the way. The 26-year-old blueliner extended his point streak to six games in the process, a stretch in which he's produced three goals and nine points, and on the season Dobson's delivered 12 goals and 40 points in 58 contests.

Schaefer scored two goals, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.

With the Islanders down 2-0 midway through the second period, Schaefer took matters into his own hands to tie it up, scoring twice in 55 seconds before the second intermission. The teenage blueliner has lit the lamp five times in the last six games, and on the season the overwhelming Calder Trophy favorite has 18 goals and 41 points in his first 59 NHL contests -- setting a new Islanders record for goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in the process, and breaking the mark established in 1973-74 by Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.

Carlson (lower body) has been ruled out against the Knights and Canadiens on Friday and Saturday, respectively, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.

Carlson was producing offensively prior to getting hurt, racking up 17 points in his last 17 games, including a trio of power-play assists. With the veteran blueliner unavailable, Jakob Chychrun will feature on the top power-play unit while Rasmus Sandin features with the No. 2 group. Given the length of his injury, Carlson could be a candidate for injured reserve to free up a roster spot for the Caps.

Bjornfot (undisclosed) was activated from injured reserve prior to Thursday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Bjornfot landed on injured reserve just before the Olympic break, but the time off allowed him to limit his absence to one game. He'll now resume his competition with Donovan Sebrango for the last spot on the Panthers' blue line.

Sebrango was in the lineup for a second straight game in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs.

Sebrango has gone 13 games without a point while sitting out 29 times in that span. He's in competition for third-pairing minutes currently, though Tobias Bjornfot (undisclosed) could push him out of the lineup. Both defensemen could eventually lose their places once Seth Jones (upper body) and Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) get healthy.

Reilly was scratched for the 10th game in a row in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Lightning.

Reilly has played just three times in 19 contests since the start of January. The Hurricanes' defense has been mostly healthy during that time, leaving Reilly in a reserve role, though he'll be ready at a moment's notice if an injury takes out a teammate. The 32-year-old has contributed seven points, 45 shots on net, 27 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over 29 appearances this season.

Edmundson recorded an assist, four blocked shots and three hits in Thursday's 8-1 loss to the Oilers.

The assist ended a 15-game slump for Edmundson. The defenseman was managing an upper-body issue in late January, though the rest during the Olympic break likely helped him recover from that concern. He's at 17 points, 74 shots on net, 68 hits, 73 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating over 58 outings this season, giving him a chance to reach the 20-point mark for the second campaign in a row and just the third time in his career. His 15 assists this year are a career high.