Stars’ Mats Zuccarello making progress in return from broken arm

In his first game with the Dallas Stars, Mats Zuccarello scored a goal, had an assist and then blocked a shot and was forced to leave due to injury.

Dallas Stars forward Mats Zuccarello took part in Saturday’s pre-game skate with the team and is “making progress” on a return from a broken arm.

Zuccarello suffered the injury blocking a shot on Feb. 24, a day after being acquired by the Stars from the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old was expected to miss about four weeks after undergoing surgery.

Before breaking his arm, Zuccarello had a goal and an assist with a plus-3 rating in over 13 minutes of ice time in his Stars debut.

“Just have to take it one day at a time,” Zuccarello said Saturday via NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. “Still hurts a little bit and it’s early, like I said, so just take it one day at a time and see how it feels in the next week or so.”

According to Stepneski, Zuccarello will travel with the Stars on a four-game road trip across Western Canada against the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

The Stars are in the middle of a fight for a playoff spot, currently holding the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference ahead of a Saturday night clash against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Stars are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.

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