TAMPA, Fla. -- Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart logged 21:10 in ice time in his first game back after missing 15 games with a broken jaw.
"You appreciate the cheap jerseys little things a little more when you're away from it; going out for warmup and the hearing the crowd was something that you miss when you're not playing," Stuart said. "Nice to be back out there."Stuart, out since Jan. 7, was reunited with defense partner Nicklas Lidstrom.
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"I felt a little rusty, but my legs felt good," Stuart said. "I just had to make sure I moved my feet. Readjusting to the speed of the game was the biggest thing."
Stuart was leading the team in hits and blocked shots before he was injured.
"Obviously, Stewie's going to help us big-time," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's a great player, he's a physical player, he's a good penalty killer.
"With all players that have been away, usually they're pretty good for a bit and they dip and then they come back. So it's a hard league in that it's so fast and it takes you a while to catch up."
Odds & ends
• Joey MacDonald will start in goal for the Red Wings Friday in Florida. It will be his first start since a 3-0 loss in Nashville on Feb. 5 and his first appearance since he replaced Jimmy Howard midway through a 4-1 loss to the Predators on Feb. 9.
• Defenseman Ruslan Salei is expected to return to the lineup on Friday, after being given a few days to spend with his family in California.
• Center Valtteri Filppula (sprained left MCL) skated Thursday for the first time since getting injured on a check from the New York Rangers' Brandon Dubinsky on Feb. 7. He is not likely to return until Tuesday at home against San Jose, at the earliest. He'll wear a brace for the rest of the season.
• Goaltender Chris Osgood was on the ice in full gear for the fourth time, going through various movements to see how he feels after surgery on Jan. 11 for a sports hernia. Osgood hopes to start practicing and taking shots next week.
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