Boston Bruins
Brad Marchand remains day to day with an upper-body injury and is questionable for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Florida Panthers on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC).
The Bruins captain exited before the third period of Game 3 on May 10 following a hit by Panthers center Sam Bennett. He missed Game 4 on Sunday, a 3-2 loss, and a 2-1 win in Game 5 at Florida on Tuesday that extended Boston’s season.
Marchand participated in the morning skate Tuesday but remained unavailable.
The Bruins trail 3-2 in the best-of-7 series.
“We just got back, so we’ll know more probably tomorrow,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said Wednesday. “We’ve got a lot of time here, a couple of days.”
Marchand has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games this postseason, sharing the team lead with forward Jake DeBrusk (five goals, five assists in 12 games).
“Having him around is awesome in any capacity,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said after the win Tuesday. “His presence for us means a lot.” -- Joe Pohoryles
Vancouver Canucks
Thatcher Demko is progressing in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, according to coach Rick Tocchet, but there is still no timeline for the Canucks’ No. 1 goalie to return.
Demko hasn’t played since sustaining the injury late in the opener of a six-game series victory against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round on April 21. He resumed skating two weeks ago and has been on the ice this week working on crease movements with goaltending coach Ian Clark.
“All I know is he's improved immensely the last 72 hours,” Tocchet said Wednesday. “I can give you that. I'm not going to give you a percentage, but it's better than 10 percent (improvement). He's really, the last 2-3 days, made some strides. Big strides.”
Tocchet was asked about the possibility of playing Game 6 at the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, or a potential Game 7 back in Vancouver on Tuesday. The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2.
“I don't know if I want to go that far,” Tocchet said.
Arturs Silovs is 4-3 with a 2.71 GAA and .907 save percentage in seven postseason starts.
Demko is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top goalie, after going 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and five shutouts despite missing five weeks late in the season with a left knee injury.
He played the final two games of the regular season before getting injured in the playoff opener against Nashville, but Tocchet said at the time it was not related to the previous knee injury. -- Kevin Woodley
Carolina Hurricanes
Brett Pesce participated in practice Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury April 22.
The Hurricanes defenseman skated on the fourth pair with rookie Dylan Coghlan but won’t play in Game 6 at PNC Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNO, SNE, SN360, TVAS, CBC).
Carolina trails 3-2 in the best-of-7 series.
“Yeah, it was good to see him out there for the first time,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I don’t think his status has changed.”
The 29-year-old hadn’t skated with the team since his injury, sustained in Game 2 of the first round against the New York Islanders.
Pesce had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 70 regular-season games and one assist in two playoff games. Tony DeAngelo has played in his place for the past eight games. -- Shawn P. Roarke
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider didn't participate in a full team practice Wednesday.
When asked if it was a regular maintenance day, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said, “I'm hoping this is just normal playoff maintenance."
New York, which has seen its 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series trimmed to 3-2, will try again Thursday to close out the Hurricanes in Game 6 at PNC Arena (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SNO, SNE, SN360, TVAS, CBC).
Kreider played 26 shifts totaling 18:51 of ice time, including nine and 7:21 in the third period of Game 5, a 4-1 loss on Monday. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) in nine games this postseason.
Rangers forward Blake Wheeler took Kreider's spot on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic, and he was also in his spot in front of the net on the first power-play unit.
Wheeler, though, is not expected to be ready to play Thursday. He is working his way back from a lower-body injury he sustained Feb. 15. Wednesday was his second time on the ice in a full-team setting since he was medically cleared for contact, with the first coming at the morning skate Monday.
"Blake Wheeler has just returned into a jersey and we are working to get him up to speed and that's where he's at right now," Laviolette said Tuesday. "He's full-go at practice, but he's just recently gotten to this point so we want to make sure he's in a position for success."
Filip Chytil was also on the ice Wednesday, but Laviolette wouldn't indicate if he is healthy and an option to play Thursday. Chytil played Game 3, his first since Nov. 2 when he sustained an upper-body injury. He did not play Game 4 because of an illness, then was on the ice for the morning skate Monday but did not play Game 5.
Chytil did not skate on a regular line Wednesday.
"Everybody that was out on the ice is cleared today, and then we'll make decisions based on where players are at," Laviolette said. "We have a few players out there like that, where they're at physically, and we'll make decisions. There's no restrictions on anybody out there." -- Dan Rosen
