Mike Ribeiro Has "Slight Tear" in MCL, Sheldon Souray To Play Tonight

Some slightly bad news and some good news this afternoon from Anaheim, as we've learned that Mike Ribeiro has a "slight tear" in his MCL and the team is still evaluating his status for after the game tonight against the Ducks.

Ribeiro injured his knee in a collision against Edmonton and returned later in the game wearing a brace, scoring two goals in the third period.

"He may fly out tomorrow to join us," said coach Glen Gulutzan when asked about Ribeiro. "I haven't heard how he is today but I know he was going to try to get out on the ice today with his brace. I haven't heard yet.

"He has an MCL, there's an old MCL [injury] there that pollutes the waters a little bit of what's actually there. Ribs thinks he can play but, for his sake, we have to make sure that he's stable enough that he's not going to get an injury there. He really wanted to come on the trip, we had to make him stay at home."

A "slight MCL tear" doesn't sound good, but this type of injury historically means the player can play with a brace on and be able to fight through the discomfort and pain. Since speed isn't exactly a big part of Ribeiro's game, then the hope is that this is something he can play through and still be effective. Tomas Vincour remains on the IR with an MCL tear, but it's likely his is much more severe.

The other news is that Sheldon Souray will in fact play tonight, with Gulutzan saying they're hopeful they can get 16 or so good minutes from the defenseman. There's also talk that the Stars could go with seven defensemen again tonight, although Gulutzan said that's something they have to talk about this afternoon and determine it from there.

Philip Larsen has also reportedly been placed on IR, so it looks like Jordie Benn will stick around for a bit longer. No news on exactly what the defensemen pairings will be tonight, although I'd expect for Goligoski and Robidas to be paired together and for Gulutzan to mix and match with the rest to find the best combination.

Press release after the jump.

Frisco, Tex. - The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has activated Sheldon Souray from injured reserve. The club also placed defenseman Philip Larsen on injured reserve with an upper body injury retroactive to Dec. 31.

Souray, 35, has missed the previous six games with a sprained ankle. He suffered the injury on Dec. 23, 2011 against the Nashville Predators. The 6-4, 237-pound defenseman from Elk Point, AB, has appeared in 34 games this season for Dallas, collecting 16 points (4 goals and 12 assists) with 109 PIM. Souray leads all Dallas defensemen with 109 shots.

Larsen, 22, suffered his injury on Dec. 31, 2011 against the Boston Bruins. The 6-0, 190-pound defenseman has skated in 19 games for the Stars this season, collecting two assists and 19 shots. He ranks second among Dallas defensemen with a +7 rating.

The Dallas Stars play the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports Southwest PLUS, Radio: 1310 The Ticket).