Things are going from bad to worse for the sputtering Tampa Bay Lightning, as head coach Jon Cooper announced Monday that forward Ondrej Palat will be out until at least the All-Star break, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Palat was seemingly injured in the third period Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild after taking a slash from Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon, as reported by Smith.

In 46 games for the Lightning this season, Palat has eight goals and 22 assists to his credit.

Palat's injury comes at a tough time for the reeling Bolts, as Tampa has lost six of its last 10 games, including a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Minnesota on Saturday night.

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Matt Murray returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday following the death of his father last week.

"I just want to say a big thanks first of all to Pittsburgh," Murray said. I want to thank my team - they did a lot for me and helped me get home."

He appears ready to get right back out there, with Pittsburgh scheduled to play twice before the All-Star break.

"Hockey definitely took a back seat for a couple days, but when you're out there, it's kind of a sanctuary," he added.

As for when he'll return to action, that's yet to be determined.

"It's great to see him on the ice and join the team," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "I will have a conversation with him this afternoon but we will take it day by day."

Prior to his absence, Murray posted a record of 15-12-1 with a .903 save percentage.

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Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending Jan. 21.

MacKinnon recorded four goals - including two game-winners - and two assists in three games as the Avs extended their win streak to nine games. He sits second in NHL scoring with 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points on the season.

Hellebuyck stopped 59 of 60 shots over two games, posting a 2-0-0 record with .983 save percentage and one shutout (versus Vancouver). Last week's performance was a highlight in what's been a stellar campaign to date.

Marchand led the NHL with seven points (two goals, five assists) in four games, helping the Bruins extend their point streak to 16 contests dating to Dec. 16.

All three players will appear in the All-Star Game on Jan. 28.

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Maybe Scott Darling isn't up to being a No. 1 goalie?

There's certainly reason to raise the question as the Carolina Hurricanes netminder has posted a record of 9-13-6 with a .892 save percentage after the team acquired and subsequently signed Darling to a four-year, $16.6-million deal last summer.

Hurricanes' columnist Luke DeCock even went as far as to say it's time to "stick a fork" in the Darling experiment.

Not so fast, says head coach Bill Peters.

Peters, Darling, and goalie coach Mike Bales are expected to have a long meeting to talk things over, according to Chip Alexander of the News and Observer.

Darling and veteran Cam Ward have been splitting starts as of late, with the latter posting a .907 save percentage and a record of 12-5-2 as the Hurricanes sit three points out of a playoff spot.

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The National Hockey League released its rankings of eligible prospects for the 2018 draft on Monday, and you may be familiar with the names that top the international and North American skaters list.

Swedish phenom Rasmus Dahlin and Russian sniper Andrei Svechnikov sit atop the international and North American lists, respectively.

Here's a look at the rankings released by NHL Central Scouting:

Rounding out the top three on the North American side are World Junior Championship standouts Brady Tkachuk of Team USA and Filip Zadina of the Czech Republic.

As for the international rankings, Swedish-born players made a clean sweep of the top three, with rearguard Adam Boqvist and centerman Isac Lundestrom currently pegged at second and third, respectively.

The 2018 NHL Draft kicks off June 22 from American Airlines Center in Dallas.

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Finland announced its men's Olympic hockey roster for the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Monday.

Included on the roster are former NHL players Karri Ramo, Lasse Kukkonen, Sami Lepisto, Teemu Hartikainen, and Joonas Kemppainen, while a pair of 2017 first-round picks will draw quite a bit of attention.

Defenseman Miro Heiskanen was selected third overall by the Dallas Stars, and forward Eeli Tolvanen was snagged 30th by the Nashville Predators.

Here's a look at the entire roster:

Goalies:

• Mikko Koskinen
• Karri Rämö
• Juha Metsola

Defensemen:

• Mikko Lehtonen
• Tommi Kivistö
• Lasse Kukkonen
• Sami Lepistö
• Juuso Hietanen
• Miro Heiskanen
• Miika Koivisto
• Atte Ohtamaa

Forwards:

• Marko Anttila
• Julius Junttila
• Eeli Tolvanen
• Joonas Kemppainen
• Jani Lajunen
• Jonas Enlund
• Petri Kontiola
• Mika Pyörälä
• Jarno Koskiranta
• Oskar Osala
• Sakari Manninen
• Teemu Hartikainen
• Jukka Peltola
• Veli-Matti Savinainen

Both Heiskanen and Tolvanen played for Finland at the 2018 World Junior Championship, losing in the quarterfinal round to the Czech Republic. Tolvanen led the team in points with a goal and five assists in five games, while Heiskanen recorded two assists in five games.

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The loss of No. 1 goaltender Martin Jones has done little to slow down the red-hot San Jose Sharks.

The club was perfect in back-to-back games this weekend with wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks and that's thanks in large to the play of backup netminder Aaron Dell.

Dell had himself a weekend, playing both games while making a combined 64 saves on 67 shots. The impressive play is nothing new for the 28-year-old, who has been stellar over his last dozen games.

Jones remains day to day with a lower-body injury. With Dell playing the way he is, there's no need for the Sharks to rush their starting goalie back into action.

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The loss of No. 1 goaltender Martin Jones has done little to slow down the red-hot San Jose Sharks.

The club was perfect in back-to-back games this weekend with wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks and that's thanks in large to the play of backup netminder Aaron Dell.

Dell had himself a weekend, playing both games while making a combined 64 saves on 67 shots. The impressive play is nothing new for the 28-year-old, who has been stellar over his last dozen games.

Jones remains day to day with a lower-body injury. With Dell playing the way he is, there's no need for the Sharks to rush their starting goalie back into action.

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