TORONTO

Jonathan Bernier’s return to the Maple Leafs crease is getting closer.

The goaltender, who has missed the past four games with a lower-body injury, on Monday practised with his teammates for the first time since getting hurt on Oct. 31 in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Today was a pretty good day compared to Saturday (when he skated by himself),” Bernier said. “It’s getting better every day, so it is tough to say what is really the timeline.

“I’m coming on the trip (to Dallas and Nashville), so we will just keep getting treatment and go day by day.”

Bernier departed the ice at the MasterCard Centre midway through practice. He was hurt when the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin collided with him and Bernier said on Monday he knew immediately something was not right.

“There was not much time left in the game so I just figured I was going to battle through and take a look after,” Bernier said.

James Reimer has been solid in Bernier’s absence, compiling a .939 save percentage in the past four games.

Captain Dion Phaneuf did not practise on Monday and coach Mike Babcock told reporters that Phaneuf had the flu but would be on the plane for the flight to Dallas, where the Leafs take on the Stars Tuesday night before meeting the Predators on Thursday in Nashville.

Forward Daniel Winnik, meanwhile, skated with teammates before practice and appeared to be fine, but he did not participate once the workout started. Babcock said he had no update on Winnik, who left the game in Washington on Saturday after suffering a left leg injury. Babcock was assuming Winnik would be on the trip as well.

With Winnik absent from practice, Peter Holland, who has been a healthy scratch for the past four games, played on the wing on the fourth line with Byron Froese and Brad Boyes.

The Leafs carry a 2-8-4 record into Dallas against a Stars club that leads the Western Conference with a 12-3-0 record and 24 points. The Leafs beat the Stars in Toronto last Monday 4-1 but since, the Stars have won three in a row and have outscored the opposition 13-5. Centre Tyler Seguin was named the NHL’s second star of the week after scoring four goals and recording three assists in four games.

Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, meanwhile, was taking some comfort in knowing he has had success against the Stars and the Predators in his career. Kadri has four goals in six games versus Dallas and three goals in five games versus Nashville.

Kadri will take a positive where he can get it as he has been doing everything in the offensive zone but scoring. Just four NHL players — Seguin (64), Alex Ovechkin (62), Radim Vrbata (61) and Taylor Hall (61) — have more shots on goal in 2015-16 than Kadri.

Kadri has 60 shots on goal in 14 games and one goal.

“It definitely gives me a little morale boost,” Kadri said of his past production against the Stars and Preds. “I think I play well against both teams. When you are getting bounces against certain teams, you like to be more offensive and hopefully it can start tomorrow night.”

Kadri is not overly frustrated in being unable to find the back of the net.

“It’s insane,” Kadri said. “I know I have been playing the right way. I’ll take one off my teeth right now.”

terry.koshan@sunmedia.ca

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