Ice Chips: Habs' Montembeault, Caps' Thompson still being evaluated
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens starting goalie Samuel Montembeault is still being evaluated after leaving Friday's Game 3 win over the Washington Capitals with an injury.
Head coach Martin St. Louis said his status for Sunday's Game 4 in Montreal is still up in the air.
With the Canadiens set to go on the power play midway through the second period, Montembeault pulled himself from the game during a commercial break with the team announcing he will not return to the game.
Montembeault was seen grabbing his left leg during a replay. He had turned aside 11 of 13 shots he faced on the night as the game was tied 2-2 when he left.
Jakub Dobes, 23, appeared in 16 games as a rookie with Montreal this season, going 7-4-3 with a .909 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against average. This is his first appearance in an NHL playoff game.
Washington leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi took part in his team's practice as a regular participant on Saturday.
Vilardi, 25, has been out with an upper-body injury since March 23. He finished fifth on the team with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games this season.
The 6-foot-3 centre returned to practice on April 21 and has been participating in a non-contact jersey since.
Vilardi has appeared in 12 career playoff games, recording two goals and eight points split between the Los Angeles Kings and Jets.
The Jets used these lines during Saturday's practice:
Washington Capitals
Staring goalie Logan Thompson did not join his team for Saturday's optional skate in Montreal a day after being injured in a Game 3 loss to the Canadiens.
Head coach Spencer Carbery did not give an update on Thompson's injury following practice.
Thompson suffered the injury in the third period when teammate Dylan Strome crashed into him following a goal by the Habs.
The 28-year-old was helped off the ice and was unable to put much weight on his left leg.
Charlie Lindgren played the remainder of the game for the Caps.
Florida Panthers
Captain Aleksander Barkov took pregame warmups and was in the lineup for Saturday afternoon's Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning after being listed as a game-time decision earlier in the day.
Barkov left Thursday night's 2-0 win over the Bolts early after a hit to the head by forward Brandon Hagel. Hagel will miss Game 3 due to a suspension.
Midway through the third period, Hagel delivered a high hit to Barkov sending him into the board. Barkov did not have the puck at the time and Hagel appeared to leave his feet on the play. Hagel was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the play.
A 29-year-old native of Tampere, Finland, Barkov is in his 12th NHL season, all with the Panthers. He's recorded three assists through the first two games of the series that the Stanley Cup champions now lead 2-0.
Ottawa Senators
Facing elimination on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Senators recalled a pair of defenceman prospects from the Canadian Hockey League, including Carter Yakemchuk of the WHL's Calgary Hitman and Tomas Hamara of the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs.
Yakemchuk, 19, was selected seventh overall by the Sens in the 2024 NHL Draft while Hamara went in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Ottawa also recalled a bunch of players from the AHL, including Zack MacEwen, Angus Crookshank, Stephen Halliday, Cole Reinhardt, Jan Jenik, Tyler Boucher, Garrett Pilon, Wyatt Bongiovanni, Donovan Sebrango and Mads Sogaard.
Head coach Travis Green has not revealed his lineup for Game 4.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Lines at morning skate - Mark Masters, TSN
F
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Holmberg - Tavares - Nylander
Jarnkrok - Laughton - Lorentz
McMann - Domi - Pacioretty
Robertson, Kampf
D
McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Mermis - Myers
G
Stolarz starts
Woll
Dallas Stars
Defenceman Miro Heiskanen will not be available on Saturday when the Stars take on the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday.
Heiskanen has not played since being injured on Jan. 28 on a hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone. Heiskanen had surgery a week later and did not resume skating until the end of March.
He appears to be getting closer to a return after being a full participant in practice on Friday and was involved in most drills.
The seventh-year player scored five goals and finished with 25 points in 50 games in the regular season for the Stars. He led the team in average ice time, at 25:09.
Minnesota Wild
Forward Marcus Johansson will not be available to the Wild when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday, according to head coach John Hynes.
Johansson, 34, had 11:09 of ice time in the Wild's 5-2 win in Game 3 where he had a minus-1 rating.
The 6-foot-1 centre has an assist in three playoff games in this series. He also recorded 11 goals and 34 points in 72 games this season.
Vinnie Hinostroza will draw into the lineup in Johansson's place, according to Hynes.
Hinostroza, 31, recorded five goals and 10 points in 38 games split between the Nashville Predators and Wild this season.