The matchup between the Celtics and 76ers pits the two teams that have played each other most in the postseason. Can Philly do something they haven’t done since 1982 and beat Boston? Here’s one burning question for each team and one X-factor that could decide the series.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent goalie Erik Källgren back to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, the club announced on Monday, leading to speculation that Matt Murray is healthy enough to rejoin the team.
Indeed, several media reports had the 28-year-old netminder from Thunder Bay, Ont., on the ice practising with the team for the first time in a month on Monday.
Murray has been out with a head injury since April 3. He was injured during a game on April 2 against Detroit after the Red Wings’ Lucas Raymond collided with him. Murray finished the regular season with a 14-8-2 record, to go with a 3.01 GAA and .903 save percentage.
Källgren was called up by the NHL club on April 18 on an emergency basis, just as the Leafs began their first-round playoff series with Tampa Bay, and has served as the emergency backup behind Joseph Woll and starter Ilya Samsonov.
The Florida Panthers say winger Ryan Lomberg is “week to week” with an upper-body injury.
Lomberg reportedly sustained the injury in Game 1, according to Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post, but kept playing until team doctors advised him to stop.
The 28-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., played in the first four games of Florida’s seven-game series against the Boston Bruins, collecting 18 penalty minutes.
The Panthers open their second-round series against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday in Toronto. Watch Game 1 on Sportsnet and SN NOW at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Akira Schmid was spotted in the starters’ net at the New Jersey Devils’ morning skate on Monday, according to Amanda Stein.
Though head coach Lindy Ruff has yet to officially confirm who will start, he turned to Schmid after the Devils dropped the first two games of their first-round series with the New York Rangers by identical 5-1 scores.
Schmid replaced Vitek Vanecek and New Jersey has not looked back, winning three of four to level the series. The Rangers had to win on Saturday in order to force Game 7 on Monday night. That game can be seen on Sportsnet and SN NOW at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m PT.
The 22-year-old Swiss goalie has a 1.72 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage in his very brief NHL playoff career, which is limited to the four games this spring against the Rangers.
Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury isn’t interested in playing anywhere else, even if it means he’s the backup in Minnesota next season, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Fleury was speaking at the Wild’s end-of-season player availability and said: “I’m tired of moving.”
The 38-year-old played 12.5 years in Pittsburgh before being claimed by Vegas in the expansion draft. He had four seasons with the Golden Knights before being traded to Chicago in July of 2021, and was then sent to Minnesota before the trade deadline in 2022. He has just completed his first full campaign with the Wild, posting a 2.85 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 46 games.
Teammate Joel Eriksson Ek confirmed on Monday that he underwent surgery for a fractured fibula last week, according to Russo.
Eriksson Ek played just 19 seconds of Game 3 the playoffs against Dallas, after sitting out with a lower-body injury. He left that game and did not return, undergoing surgery afterward. Prior to that, he had not played since April 6 against Pittsburgh, when he was hurt blocking a shot.
Defenceman Matt Dumba, Russo reported, had to leave Game 6 with a concussion.
The Wild were eliminated by the Stars in six games.
Veteran forward Zach Parise isn’t sure if he’ll play next season, but insisted it would only be with the Islanders, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Parise, 38, had 21 goals and 31 points, playing all 82 games of the regular season for New York’s most recent campaign. He is a veteran of 1,224 NHL games, plus 111 playoff games, with the Islanders, Devils, and Minnesota Wild. He was drafted third overall by New Jersey in 2003.
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