Boston Bruins
Derek Forbort will be “an option” for the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, NESN, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS, CBC).
The 32-year-old defenseman has not played since March 2 due to two undisclosed injuries, and Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said shortly after he expected Forbort to be out for the season.
Forbort had surgery and played two games with Providence of the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint on April 19 and April 21. He practiced on Boston’s third defense pair with Parker Wotherspoon on Monday.
Forbort has five assists (three goals, two assists) in 32 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He had four assists in 35 games during the regular season.
Bruins forward Justin Brazeau will also be an option for Game 5 after recovering from an upper-body injury sustained April 2 in a 3-0 win at the Nashville Predators.
The 26-year-old had seven points (five goals, two assists) in 19 regular-season games. He has yet to play an NHL playoff game.
“We’ll see tomorrow night if they’re in the lineup or not,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Monday. “There’s steps left to be made, but they are close.”
Brazeau practiced with Pat Maroon and Jesper Boqvist on the fourth line Monday, but Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen did not participate for maintenance reasons. -- Joe Pohoryles
New York Islanders
Matt Martin will not play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MSGSN, TBS, BSSO, SN360, TVAS) because of a lower-body injury.
The 34-year-old forward will travel with the Islanders but will miss his second straight game. Rookie forward Ruslan Iskhakov made his playoff debut in New York’s 3-2 double overtime win in Game 3 on Saturday.
"Still the same. Day to day," coach Patrick Roy said Monday. "He's a leader on our team, so guys want to be around him for sure."
Martin has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 88 career playoff games. He does not have a point in three games in this series, which Carolina leads 3-1.
Forward Simon Holmstrom skated in Martin's spot alongside Kyle MacLean and Cal Clutterbuck at practice Monday.
"We haven't made the decision on who's going to be on the left side with MacLean and Clutterbuck, but whatever decision is going to be made, we're very comfortable with the player that is going to be there," Roy said. -- Stefen Rosner
Winnipeg Jets
Brenden Dillon missed Winnipeg's 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round on Sunday with a hand injury.
The defenseman sustained the injury in a scrum following Colorado's 6-2 win Friday. The Avalanche have a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Jets coach Rick Bowness is hopeful Dillon can play Game 5 when his team will face elimination at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNW, ALT, ESPN).
"Fortunately, there is no damage at all but unfortunately, there are a lot of stitches holding it together, so our doctors are a little hesitant to put him back in this quickly," Bowness said. "If you asked him, he'd play. He'd just tape the whole hand up and play. He has that much desire."
Logan Stanley, a healthy scratch in Game 3, replaced Dillon. Forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, who the Jets recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Saturday, was in the lineup for David Gustafsson, a healthy scratch. -- Tracey Myers
