NHL Player News

Per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, Cernak (undisclosed) is slated to return to the lineup Saturday against Carolina, according to Tampa Bay assistant coach Rob Zettler.

Cernak has missed the last two games. The 28-year-old blueliner has one goal and seven points across 43 games this season. Declan Carlile (undisclosed) should be the odd-man out Saturday against Carolina.

Jensen missed practice Friday with a lower-body injury, Julian McKenzie of The Athletic reports.

Jensen's injury is not to his hip, which caused him to undergo offseason surgery. He has four goals, 13 assists and 65 blocked shots over 61 games this season. If Jensen is unable to play Saturday versus Anaheim, look for Dennis Gilbert to enter the lineup on the third pairing, alongside Nikolas Matinpalo.

Brossoit was recalled from AHL San Jose on Friday.

The move was made necessary when Yaroslav Askarov tweaked something Thursday, forcing the Sharks to suit up emergency backup goaltender Kyle Chauvette, who was signed to an amateur tryout prior to Thursday's tilt in Boston. Brossoit is 11-2-1 with a 2.48 GAA and .915 save percentage for AHL San Jose this season. He is expected to back up Alex Nedeljkovic on Saturday in Montreal.

Dobes will defend the home cage versus San Jose on Saturday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.

Dobes has won his last two starts, giving up four goals on 57 shots in victories over Toronto and Los Angeles. The netminder is 21-6-4 with a 2.97 GAA and an .892 save percentage across 31 contests this season. The Sharks are generating 3.08 goals per game this season, 18th in the NHL.

Paul (undisclosed) will be a game-time call for Saturday's tilt versus Carolina, per Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site.

Paul practiced without restrictions Friday. He has missed the last 11 games, missing the last six weeks. He should play as a middle-six center upon his return, with Yanni Gourde moving down the depth chart. Paul had six goals and 12 points in 34 games prior to his injury Feb. 1.

Cernak (undisclosed) practiced Friday and will be a game-time decision for Saturday's clash versus Carolina, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Cernak has missed the last two games with the injury. He has one goal, six assists, 81 hits, 77 blocked shots and 52 PIM across 43 games this season. Look for Declan Carlile (undisclosed) to be scratched if Cernak is able to play.

Reinhart scored the overtime winner and added an assist, both on the power play, in Thursday's 2-1 victory over Columbus.

The Panthers' special teams proved to be the difference in a goaltending duel between Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins, with Reinhart snapping the puck past a scrambling Merzlikins from the side of the net. Reinhart hasn't gone consecutive games without getting onto the scoresheet since mid-January, and that consistency has earned him five goals and 14 points over his last 15 contests. The veteran winger needs one more goal to reach 30 for a fifth straight season.

Bobrovsky turned aside 30 shots in Thursday's 2-1 overtime win over the Blue Jackets.

The visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second period when Adam Fantilli slipped the puck through Bobrovsky's five-hole on a two-on-one break, but otherwise the veteran netminder was outstanding, and he was rewarded for his efforts when Sam Reinhart scored the OT winner. Bobrovsky appears to be finding a late-season surge despite the fact that the Panthers are all but out of the playoff picture -- he's given up exactly one goal in three of five starts since the Olympic break, going 3-2-0 with a 2.21 GAA and .925 save percentage during that span.

Merzlikins stopped 19 shots in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Panthers.

The Blue Jackets grabbed a 1-0 lead past the midway point of the second period on an Adam Fantilli tally, but Merzlikins couldn't make it stick as Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored on power plays in the third period and OT. Merzlikins has turned things around over the last couple months while working behind a stingier Columbus blue line, going 7-2-2 in his last 12 outings with a 2.54 GAA and .898 save percentage.

Luukkonen made 20 saves in Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Capitals.

Buffalo grabbed an early lead on a first-period goal by Sam Carrick, but that was all the offensive support Luukkonen would get on the night. It was the first regulation loss for the 27-year-old netminder since Jan. 19, and over five starts since the Olympic break Luukkonen has posted a solid 2.63 GAA and .910 save percentage.