Kieffer Bellows is slated to return on Saturday, Dylan Gambrell and Tommy Miller remain questionable to play in the opening game of the playoffs, and Ryan Tverberg isn't close to a return.
Kieffer Bellows is slated to return on Saturday, Dylan Gambrell and Tommy Miller remain questionable to play in the opening game of the playoffs, and Ryan Tverberg isn't close to a return.
The Marlies are slowly returning to full health as they approach the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Toronto practiced on Friday morning, one day ahead of a crucial back-to-back against the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday and Sunday. If the Marlies win both games, they could secure a bye and begin their playoffs in the North Division semifinals.
Matt Murray, who's been with the Marlies on a conditioning stint since Saturday, is slated to get one of the games this weekend, Marlies head coach John Gruden said Friday. The 29-year-old goaltender has won and lost a game each while posting a .852 save percentage in that span.
Kieffer Bellows practiced with the team at Ford Performance Center on Friday morning. The 25-year-old forward is having a career year in the AHL, scoring 47 points (26 goals, 21 assists) in 51 games.
He's missed the last 12 games with a lower-body injury but will return to the lineup on Saturday against Cleveland alongside two familiar linemates: Logan Shaw and Nick Abruzzese.
"We saw what that line was doing prior to [Bellows'] injury. I mean, we really found three guys that like playing [together] and had some really good chemistry," Gruden said on Friday.
"I think those guys are really excited about getting back together. He's a threat. He's a dangerous player. It's someone [Cleveland's] going to have to contain with and he's a power forward. It'll be exciting to get him back at an important time of the year."
The Marlies have been without several key players for quite some time now. Aside from Bellows, Dylan Gambrell, Ryan Tverberg, and Tommy Miller haven't been in the lineup for the last stretch of games.
Gambrell hasn't played since April 10, when he suffered an upper-body injury. Gruden said on Friday that the forward remains day-to-day and "had some personal issues to take care of."
Miller remains day-to-day, the Marlies head coach said on Friday. "But it looks like the return is close." The 25-year-old has been out since Feb. 23 when he suffered a lower-body injury.
Those two players are close, with Gruden adding that Gambrell has "a really good chance" of being ready for Game 1 of the playoffs. Miller's availability will depend on when Toronto's postseason begins.
However, Tverberg, who suffered an upper-body injury on Mar. 27 after getting hit into the boards awkwardly, won't be ready for when the playoffs begin.
"Tverberg's not [going to be ready]," Gruden said on Friday as he provided injury updates. "He had surgery."
It appears unlikely that the rookie forward will play again this season, and if that's the case, it's an unfortunate blow for the 22-year-old who dealt with an injury early in the season but returned and scored 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 46 games with the Marlies this season.
If Toronto fails to win both games against Cleveland this weekend, all signs point to a likely three-game first-round series against the Belleville Senators. The AHL season concludes on Sunday.
One other interesting tidbit from Marlies practice on Friday: Former Newfoundland Growlers head coach Matt Cooke was on the ice with Toronto's coaching staff. It appears he's remaining in the organization for the remainder of this season.
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