Marchand to travel with Bruins to Florida for Game 5; Wheeler skates in regular jersey for Rangers
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Colorado Avalanche
The 29-year-old forward has not played since the Avalanche’s regular-season finale April 18, when he left in the second periof because of a lower-body injury. He skated last Wednesday for the first time since the injury.
He was a full participant at the morning skate Monday, including on the top power-play unit.
“We’ll see tonight,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “… He’s a good player, really good player. We’ve missed them while he’s been out. He has the ability to move around our lineup and help with the skill portion of it, the skating portion of it. He’s become a really trusted defensive player for us, so he brings a lot to the table.”
The Avalanche trail 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.
Drouin, who signed a one-year contract July 3, 2023, was fourth on the Avalanche with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 79 games after scoring just two goals in 58 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. — Tracey Myers
Boston Bruins
Brad Marchand skated Monday after he did not play for the Bruins in a 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday because of an upper-body injury.
The Bruins captain was slow to get back to the bench after he took a hit from Panthers forward Sam Bennett at 3:38 of the first period in a 6-2 loss in Game 3 on Friday. He played the rest of the first and second period but did not return for the third.
Marchand did not practice Saturday and was listed as day to day. Bruins coach Jim Mongomery would not confirm or deny Sunday whether Marchand sustained a concussion.
Game 5 is at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNO, SNE, TVAS, CBC).
“He’ll travel with the team,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Monday. “He’s still day to day and hopefully he continues … the guys [have] got to give him a chance.”
Marchand has two assists in the best-of-7 series, which Boston trails 3-1. He leads the Bruins with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games this postseason. — Joe Pohoryles
New York Rangers
Blake Wheeler (lower body) has been cleared for contact and participated in the Rangers’ morning skate in a regular jersey, but he did not play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
New York leads the best-of-7 series 3-1.
The 37-year-old forward had been skating with the team in a red noncontact jersey. He has not played since Feb. 15, when he was injured in the first period of a 7-4 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Wheeler was placed on long-term injured reserve the following day.
He had 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 54 regular-season games.
Wheeler traveled with the Rangers to Raleigh, North Carolina, for Games 3 and 4 to continue skating with them. He was banging on the glass in the corner of the rink where his teammates were celebrating Artemi Panarin’s overtime goal in Game 3 on Thursday.
“It’s really good,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said. “That’s a long road and sometimes it’s a lonely road too. We’re going about our business and he’s off in a different room doing his thing at different times.
“You saw his enthusiasm the other night there on the OT goal; he just wants to get back on the inside and be a part of that. It’s nice to have him out there and available and good to go full.”
Filip Chytil was also back on the ice for the Rangers’ morning skate Monday after missing Game 4 with an illness. Laviolette said Sunday that Chytil was feeling better, but the forward did not play in Game 5.
“Everybody was out there for practice this morning, and that’s a real positive for our team,” Laviolette said.
Chytil played in Game 3, his first time in the lineup since Nov. 2, when he sustained an upper-body injury in a 2-1 win against the Hurricanes.
Jonny Brodzinski replaced Chytil in the lineup for Game 4. — Dan Rosen
Vancouver Canucks
Thatcher Demko could return at some point during the Western Conference Second Round against the Edmonton Oilers.
Demko was injured late during the opener of Vancouver’s six-game series victory against the Nashville Predators in the first round April 21.
“The progress is getting better and better,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday. “He took a few shots. That’s a good sign. That’s the way you’ve got to look at it.
“Like I’ve said, these things, some days you wake up and you might be 20 percent. I don’t know, but he’s definitely progressed.”
Demko is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the top goalie in the NHL, after he was 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and five shutouts despite missing five weeks late in the regular season with a knee injury. Tocchet said after Game 1 against Nashville it was not related to the previous knee injury.
Goalie Arturs Silovs has started every game for the Canucks since Game 4 of the first round and made an NHL career-high 42 saves in a 4-3 win in Game 3 on Sunday.
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