San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner decided to send a message to two of his key young players Saturday against the Minnesota Wild.

Wingers Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc were both demoted to the fourth line after the opening frame.

"They were both horrible in the first period," Boughner said, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. "They didn't deserve to play in the top six or the top nine for that matter. I just made the decision after the first period, if you're not ready to play, put both those guys on the same line and let them try to figured it out down there."

The Sharks trailed 3-1 after the first period and ended up losing 5-2.

Labanc actually ended up playing 17:34 in the contest - second among Sharks forwards. He also notched an assist in the third period and his five-on-five expected goals share of 76.7% was third-best on the team, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Meier logged 13:29 in the game - nearly three minutes below his season average. He finished with a minus-1 rating, a 44% expected goals share, and no points.

Labanc, 25, and Meier, 24, are tied for fifth on the Sharks with 25 points each this season.

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green is grateful he's healthy enough to return behind the bench after battling COVID-19.

"There's been a lot of people that have gone through a lot and are coming back to play, and I wanted to make sure that I was there," Green told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "If I didn't feel like I could do it, though, I wouldn't do it.

"There was a time, probably just a couple of days ago, where I really didn't believe I would be. I'm thankful that I've been able to come and be at the rink the last few days and get on the ice today and it will be good to coach tomorrow."

Green was one of 24 people in the Canucks organization to contract the virus. The club hasn't played since March 24, and its initial return date was pushed back after forward J.T. Miller openly said the players weren't ready.

"I think it has been real important that we've had the extra days of practice for our team,” Green said. "Obviously, they've gone through a lot in the last few weeks. But I think they've needed (more time) physically ... but maybe more importantly mentally.

"Just to get through a few more days and feel good about themselves and get through a practice where you're not struggling to get through practice, I think that's been vital for our group."

The Canucks return to the ice Sunday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vancouver currently sits sixth in the North Division with 35 points through 37 contests. The plan is for the team to play all of its 56-game schedule.

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The Arizona Coyotes were playing with heavy hearts on Saturday night.

Prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues, Leighton Accardo, a nine-year-old who died in November after a long battle with cancer, was inducted into the Coyotes' ring of honor.

The honor has been exclusively reserved for former players, coaches, general managers, or broadcasters across the NHL. But Accardo will join the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Teppo Numminen, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, and Bobby Hull inside Gila River Arena.

Accardo left a lasting impact on the entire Coyotes organization.

The Coyotes trailed the Blues 2-0 after 20 minutes, but captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson guaranteed the team would complete a comeback victory in honor of Accardo.

The Coyotes ended up scoring three unanswered goals to take the game 3-2. Ekman-Larsson picked up an assist while logging 19:24 of ice time in the contest.

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San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau tied legend Gordie Howe atop the NHL's all-time games played list at 1,767 on Saturday night versus the Minnesota Wild.

The longtime Shark - and former Toronto Maple Leaf and Pittsburgh Penguin - is in his 23rd NHL season. Howe played until he was 51 but logged six campaigns and 419 contests in the World Hockey Association from 1973-79.

Marleau is scheduled to take sole possession of the record Monday versus Vegas. That contest will also mark his 899th consecutive game, the fourth-longest streak in league history.

The 41-year-old has notched four goals and four assists in 43 games this season. For his career, Marleau's registered 1,196 points.

He's an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

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Carey Price is returning to the Montreal Canadiens' crease.

The veteran goaltender is the Canadiens' starter for Saturday's afternoon tilt with the Ottawa Senators, Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme said about two hours before puck drop.

Price missed the previous six games with a lower-body injury.

The 33-year-old has struggled this season, authoring a .903 save percentage in 23 games. He's also posted a minus-4.32 goals saved above average and a minus-7.32 goals saved above expected in 2021, according to Evolving Hockey.

Jake Allen went 2-4-0 with a .900 save percentage in Price's absence. The backup has been the better Canadiens netminder this season, albeit in fewer appearances.

Price has spent his entire 14-year career with Montreal. He won the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2014-15.

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Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper isn't worried about his captain remaining on long-term injured reserve for longer than the minimum length of time required.

Cooper said Saturday that the club hopes Steven Stamkos can skate in 7-to-10 days, and the club is "extremely optimistic" the star forward will be ready to play once his mandatory stay on LTIR is complete, according to team reporter Bryan Burns.

Later on Saturday, the Lightning said Stamkos' injury is unrelated to the core muscle ailment he sustained at the end of the 2019-20 regular season.

On Thursday, Tampa Bay placed him on LTIR. The move was retroactive to April 8, when he was hurt late in a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Players placed on LTIR must miss at least 10 games or 24 days.

Stamkos remains tied for the team lead in goals this season with 17 despite playing five fewer contests than fellow club scoring leader Brayden Point and the four other skaters in the top six on the list.

The Lightning entered Saturday's action sitting second in the Central Division with the NHL's fourth-best record.

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The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Dylan Holloway to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

Holloway, 19, was selected by Edmonton with the 14th overall pick at the 2020 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-1 pivot tallied 11 goals and 35 points through 23 games during his sophomore season with the Wisconsin Badgers and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.

Holloway also represented Team Canada at the 2021 world juniors, contributing one goal and one assist en route to earning a silver medal.

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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark is week-to-week with a lower-body injury he sustained Tuesday, interim head coach Don Granato announced.

"Right now, it's week-to-week, and we don't have many weeks left," Granato said. "So, that one's a little touchy."

The Sabres have 13 games left, with their regular season scheduled to conclude May 8.

Ullmark previously missed 15 games this season due to injury. He's been one of few bright spots for Buffalo in 2021, posting a .917 save percentage across 20 contests.

The 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

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