Sabres goalie Ryan Miller returned to practice on Wednesday. After practicing for the first time since sustaining a concussion Nov. 12, Miller didn't give a definitive timetable for his comeback. "I wouldn't," coach Lindy Ruff said, "rule the weekend out."

The Lightning have re-signed defenseman Victor Hedman to a five-year contract that runs through the 2016-17 season. The deal is worth $20 million, according to a source. "He has shown tremendous growth as a player in just more than two seasons in the NHL while also becoming a key member of our team. We look forward to his continued development in a Lightning uniform," Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement.

Injured Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has begun skating lightly on his own, according to sources. The 24-year-old skated briefly for the first time Monday since being shut down for post-concussion symptoms last month. Staal skated again Tuesday morning at the Rangers practice facility in Westchester. He has yet to play a game this season and remains on injured reserve with post-concussion symptoms stemming from a hit by his older brother Eric Staal last February.

Former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said Tuesday he never had a problem with captain Alex Ovechkin and rumors of any kind of rift between the two are overblown. Boudreau was fired as head coach of the Capitals on Monday and replaced by former team captain Dale Hunter. Boudreau said Ovechkin called him after the news of Boudreau's firing. Boudreau said the two spoke for 15 minutes on Tuesday and the star winger thanked his former coach for his time with the Capitals. "And I told him I loved him and blah, blah, blah, all the regular stuff," Boudreau said. Ovechkin is off to a slow start with just eight goals in 22 games and the team struggling after a 7-0 start. But Boudreau dismissed the notion that the two were feuding. "It's so far from the truth," Boudreau said. "We got along, I think, famously."

Not only are the Rangers streaking on home ice, they are picking off some powerhouses in the process. That trend continued Tuesday night when New York used a four-goal second period to grab control against Pittsburgh and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Penguins, the Rangers' seventh straight win at Madison Square Garden.

Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel has taken the overall lead in fan balloting for the NHL All-Star Game. The event will be held Jan. 29 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. Kessel leads the league with 16 goals and 31 points this season.

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will have surgery on his left knee Tuesday and will be out for one month. "The procedure will clean out some loose particles that have given Chris some problems over the last month or so," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "We were hopeful that the time missed with a virus that Chris has been fighting would settle things down in his knee, but after an examination yesterday, it was decided that the surgery is the way to go at this time. "We expect Chris will be back playing in four weeks."

Oilers forward Taylor Hall will be out 2-to-4 weeks because of an injured left shoulder. The team made the announcement Monday night after a 2-1 home loss to the Predators. Hall had an MRI exam earlier Monday. "I thought I was going to be out a shorter period of time, but two-to-four weeks isn't that bad," Hall said. "It's not like I am missing a huge chunk of games where it would then take me three or four games to get back into the swing of things. I want to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible, obviously. I'll just try to rehab it as quickly as I can."

Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty has been suspended three games by the NHL for a hit to the head of Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang. The league made the announcement Monday night, hours after Pacioretty had a hearing over the phone with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. Pacioretty struck Letang in the head with his shoulder with 3:14 left in the third period of Montreal's 4-3 overtime loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Letang was bloodied and sustained a broken nose, but he returned to the game and scored the winning goal.

Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky fired back at Flyers enforcer Jody Shelley, who called him a "weasel" in HBO's 15-minute "24/7" teaser. "It won't be long before he's out of the league, because he's a terrible hockey player," Dubinsky told the New York Daily News on Monday.