The Dallas Stars are continuing to make a playoff push in the Western Conference, but they will have to do it without Patrick Sharp and John Klingberg for the time being. They are both dealing with injuries for the team, but they are expected to return to the lineup soon.
Klingberg is out with a lower-body injury and will not play on Tuesday. The defenseman missed the game for the Stars on Friday, and there is a chance he could miss more time going forward. Coach Lindy Ruff said that he is "doing okay" with the injury, but that he needs more time to recover before making a return.
Klingberg was forced to leave the game on Friday for the Stars after taking a hit from New Jersey's Kyle Palmieri. Klingberg went down hard on the ice and later went to the bench. He came back out for another shift in the game, but he was visibly injured and later left to go to the locker room. The team announced during the game that Klingberg would not return, and he has not played since.
Klingberg is one of the more productive defensemen in the league, putting up 53 points in 66 games this season. The Stars are also dealing with an injury to Jordie Benn, who could be out for another week with a lower-body injury. Ruff said that the injuries to Klingberg and Benn have forced some changes in the lineup, including moving Alex Goligoski to the right side of the defensive pairings.
"I feel at some point we may just play five for a while inside of games, so the last two days have just been practice on that side (for Goligoski)," Ruff said.
Sharp has been out for Dallas since March 4, but he could be getting close to a return. Sharp suffered a lower-body injury last Monday and was expected to miss around a week of action. The forward will not play on Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, but he could return when the team plays the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
Sharp has 47 points in 65 games this season, including 17 goals and 30 assists. The Stars are locked in a tight battle in the Central Division with the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. The team is tied for first place with 87 points with the Blackhawks, and they sit two points ahead of the Blues coming into Tuesday night.
