New Jersey Devils defensemen Anssi Salmela was taken off the ice on a stretcher Monday night after taking a hard shoulder to the face from the Philadelphia Flyers' Jeff Carter.

Moments after scoring a short-handed goal that gave the Devils a 2-0 lead in the second period, Salmela was struck hard by Carter's right shoulder as he skated by. Salmela tumbled to the ice and remained face down for several minutes, until the Devils' medical staff lifted him onto a stretcher.

There was no immediate word on his condition.

Salmela, 25, playing his second game since arriving as part of last week's trade with Atlanta for Ilya Kovalchuk, has scored two goals this season.

The Dallas Stars have activated center Mike Ribeiro a month after he injured his throat in a game against the New York Rangers.

Ribeiro came off injured reserve while defenseman Mark Fistric went on the list with a knee injury. Forwards Raymond Sawada and Francis Wathier were recalled from the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Ribeiro was accidentally struck in the throat by the stick of New York's Christopher Higgins in the Rangers' 5-2 victory Jan. 6. He spent several days in a New York hospital after having a tracheotomy.

Fistric injured a knee Thursday against Columbus and will have arthroscopic surgery. He will out until after the Olympic break, which ends March 2.

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