Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin ready to help fill hole left by Morgan Rielly’s injury
TORONTO — Martin Marincin wants back in. But Mike Babcock was willing to let his defenceman wait at least one more day.
Marincin, who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 10 with a lower-body injury, on Friday declared himself “ready” to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.
Babcock said the decision on Marincin will be made following the club’s morning skate on Saturday, hours before the Leafs and Ottawa Senators clash at the Air Canada Centre in the latest instalment of the Battle of Ontario.
Rielly's return remains uncertain
Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said defenceman Morgan Rielly, who is sidelined after suffering right leg injury on Tuesday against Buffalo, is “100% is not available” to play versus Ottawa on Saturday.
When might Rielly return to the lineup? That’s where it gets muddy. Rielly skated by himself on Friday morning, and reported to Babcock afterward.
“He told me he was doing fine, he was hoping to be better than he was, but he is doing fine,” Babcock said. “I don’t know what that means. Does that mean day to day? Does that mean 10 days? Day to day is normally 10 days, so is it longer than that? I don’t know.”
How about centre Ben Smith? Did those pins come out of his surgically repaired hand this week?
“I never ask (the training staff),” Babcock said. “What I have learned over time as a coach in this league is the less you ask … you are not putting any pressure on them. When they are ready, the trainers tell you.”
Terry Koshan, Postmedia Network
Marincin, who has missed the past 17 games, appeared to be on the cusp of getting into the lineup during practice at the MasterCard Centre as he was paired with Nikita Zaitsev.
“Marty has a chance to be a really good player,” Babcock said. “He has to earn the right to feel confident, and play like he can. Great stick, great skater.
“The ball is in his court. We will decide tomorrow. We will see who is healthy, who is not, and make our decisions at that time.”
A couple of factors tend to make one believe Marincin will be activated from injured reserve. Morgan Rielly will miss a second consecutive game with a right leg injury; also, the Leafs were a defensive mess on Thursday in a loss against the New York Rangers, and though Marincin wouldn’t erase the problems on his own, his presence could help put the Leafs on a better footing.
Jake Gardiner and Connor Carrick remained a pair at practice, as did Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak. Frank Corrado, who played in his second game of the season against the Rangers, was the seventh defenceman.
The Leafs will have to be a lot better against the Senators than they were Thursday. Babcock still was scratching his head Friday over his players’ poor performance. And to be clear, the forwards were just as guilty as the defencemen. Only goalie Frederik Andersen got a pass.
“We were terrible,” Babcock said. “You’re not disappointed that often. We did not compete hard and we were not prepared. That’s my job. We weren’t ready to go … Whether that was a team that is feeling good about themselves and did not compete …
“Now, that is one (game), it has to be done. We are playing a good Ottawa team and they are going to be competitive.”
Related
There’s juice in the Leafs-Senators rivalry again, and though there shouldn’t be too much stock put into a January game, the Leafs don’t think they can afford to lose.
With 50 points, the Leafs held down the second wild-card playoff spot before games were played on Friday. The Senators, with 52 points, were in second place in the Atlantic Division.
“It’s always about the response (from a bad effort),” forward James van Riemsdyk said. “It’s going to be a big one, a divisional game against the Sens.
“Now that we’re both in the upper echelon of the standings it makes the games little more meaningful and fun. We know these games are huge.”
Marincin had been an important player for the Leafs on the penalty kill, averaging a shade under three minutes a game while Toronto was shorthanded. Only Polak and Hunwick, among Leafs defencemen, have been on the ice more with a teammate in the penalty box.
It would be just as crucial for Gardiner and Carrick to regain some chemistry.
“They are playing on the offensive blue line,” Babcock said when he was asked what the two are doing when they are effective.
“They get the puck moving, they don’t have to defend. It was pretty evident (against the Rangers) we could not move the puck.”
In the bigger picture, Marincin wants to help get that in order.
“I hope so,” Marincin said. “I’m feeling great.”
TORONTO — Martin Marincin wants back in. But Mike Babcock was willing to let his defenceman wait at least one more day.
Marincin, who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 10 with a lower-body injury, on Friday declared himself “ready” to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.
Babcock said the decision on Marincin will be made following the club’s morning skate on Saturday, hours before the Leafs and Ottawa Senators clash at the Air Canada Centre in the latest instalment of the Battle of Ontario.
Rielly's return remains uncertain
Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said defenceman Morgan Rielly, who is sidelined after suffering right leg injury on Tuesday against Buffalo, is “100% is not available” to play versus Ottawa on Saturday.
When might Rielly return to the lineup? That’s where it gets muddy. Rielly skated by himself on Friday morning, and reported to Babcock afterward.
“He told me he was doing fine, he was hoping to be better than he was, but he is doing fine,” Babcock said. “I don’t know what that means. Does that mean day to day? Does that mean 10 days? Day to day is normally 10 days, so is it longer than that? I don’t know.”
How about centre Ben Smith? Did those pins come out of his surgically repaired hand this week?
“I never ask (the training staff),” Babcock said. “What I have learned over time as a coach in this league is the less you ask … you are not putting any pressure on them. When they are ready, the trainers tell you.”
Terry Koshan, Postmedia Network
Marincin, who has missed the past 17 games, appeared to be on the cusp of getting into the lineup during practice at the MasterCard Centre as he was paired with Nikita Zaitsev.
“Marty has a chance to be a really good player,” Babcock said. “He has to earn the right to feel confident, and play like he can. Great stick, great skater.
“The ball is in his court. We will decide tomorrow. We will see who is healthy, who is not, and make our decisions at that time.”
A couple of factors tend to make one believe Marincin will be activated from injured reserve. Morgan Rielly will miss a second consecutive game with a right leg injury; also, the Leafs were a defensive mess on Thursday in a loss against the New York Rangers, and though Marincin wouldn’t erase the problems on his own, his presence could help put the Leafs on a better footing.
Jake Gardiner and Connor Carrick remained a pair at practice, as did Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak. Frank Corrado, who played in his second game of the season against the Rangers, was the seventh defenceman.
The Leafs will have to be a lot better against the Senators than they were Thursday. Babcock still was scratching his head Friday over his players’ poor performance. And to be clear, the forwards were just as guilty as the defencemen. Only goalie Frederik Andersen got a pass.
“We were terrible,” Babcock said. “You’re not disappointed that often. We did not compete hard and we were not prepared. That’s my job. We weren’t ready to go … Whether that was a team that is feeling good about themselves and did not compete …
“Now, that is one (game), it has to be done. We are playing a good Ottawa team and they are going to be competitive.”
Related
There’s juice in the Leafs-Senators rivalry again, and though there shouldn’t be too much stock put into a January game, the Leafs don’t think they can afford to lose.
With 50 points, the Leafs held down the second wild-card playoff spot before games were played on Friday. The Senators, with 52 points, were in second place in the Atlantic Division.
“It’s always about the response (from a bad effort),” forward James van Riemsdyk said. “It’s going to be a big one, a divisional game against the Sens.
“Now that we’re both in the upper echelon of the standings it makes the games little more meaningful and fun. We know these games are huge.”
Marincin had been an important player for the Leafs on the penalty kill, averaging a shade under three minutes a game while Toronto was shorthanded. Only Polak and Hunwick, among Leafs defencemen, have been on the ice more with a teammate in the penalty box.
It would be just as crucial for Gardiner and Carrick to regain some chemistry.
“They are playing on the offensive blue line,” Babcock said when he was asked what the two are doing when they are effective.
“They get the puck moving, they don’t have to defend. It was pretty evident (against the Rangers) we could not move the puck.”
In the bigger picture, Marincin wants to help get that in order.
“I hope so,” Marincin said. “I’m feeling great.”
Today at 7:51 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 3/19/24 Iraqi Dinar Update - Expectation Results - Al-Sudani - Taif Sami - Al-Alaq -
Today at 7:49 am by Rocky
» utube 3/18/24 MM&C Iraqi Dinar-- IQD-- Dinar Update -100% Electronic - Real Effective Exchange Rat
Today at 7:47 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic stresses the importance of following up on the implementation of Artic
Today at 7:41 am by Rocky
» The Turkish Foreign Ministry reveals new details about Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad
Today at 7:37 am by Rocky
» Obelisk Hour: The ambassadorial file is complex and the political blocs have stakes in the appointme
Today at 7:35 am by Rocky
» Pressure to improve standards: Parliamentary Working Committee moves towards promoting the rights of
Today at 7:33 am by Rocky
» Will he hand over the authority of the region peacefully? ...The Democrat is mixing the political ca
Today at 7:32 am by Rocky
» Politician: 99% of the Kurdish parties will not suspend their participation in the region’s election
Today at 7:31 am by Rocky
» The disputes between the Kirkuk forces are approaching a solution
Today at 7:29 am by Rocky
» To remove the foreigner... the first round negotiations between Iraq and the coalition continue
Today at 7:28 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee: The region continues to export oil through Turkish Ceyhan
Today at 7:27 am by Rocky
» To cover salaries.. Baghdad sends 1.5 billion dinars to Kurdistan
Today at 7:24 am by Rocky
» In less than 12 hours, 19,000 Iranians entered Iraq
Today at 7:22 am by Rocky
» In exchange for completing transactions, government employees taking bribes were arrested
Today at 7:21 am by Rocky
» Iraq is moving to build the largest solar energy station
Today at 7:19 am by Rocky
» Amending the budget for social care and the disabled
Today at 7:18 am by Rocky
» A proposal to appoint social welfare beneficiaries to the security services
Today at 7:17 am by Rocky
» Calls for “regionalization” are outbidding and personal interests
Today at 7:15 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Traffic fines will increase the state budget
Today at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Support the agricultural engineer
Today at 7:13 am by Rocky
» Experts: Activating the industrial and agricultural sectors stops 80% of imports
Today at 7:12 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sales exceed $245 million today
Today at 7:09 am by Rocky
» Today's newspapers are interested in Al-Sudani's assertion that the state of stability achieved in I
Today at 5:16 am by Rocky
» Al-Badran: The reason for postponing the Basra Council session is to give members sufficient time to
Today at 5:14 am by Rocky
» The Contractors Registration and Classification Committee at the Ministry of Planning completed more
Today at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Foreign Affairs: We discussed these files with the Romanian Senate
Today at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Investment Authority to / Nina /: We will adopt future programming to implement projects and
Today at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Their arms are "electronic flies"... Personalities who lost their positions seek to stir up strife b
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Decrease in dollar exchange rates in morning trading in Baghdad markets
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» An international organization: Plans to enhance the livelihood of affected displaced and returning f
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Dozens of factories are halted... Industry: We went into partnership with the private sector to rest
Today at 5:03 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Communist criticizes the decision to abolish the Kurdistan Parliament quota: positive disc
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani confirms Iraq's aspiration for the participation of Azerbaijani companies in construction
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» An initiative by the President of the Republic to solve the problem of the region’s salaries
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» The Kurdistan government complains about Baghdad’s finances: It is ready to pay 59% of the salaries
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Khanjar: The Democratic boycott of the elections puts the future of Iraq in danger
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Iraq is ranked seventh in the Arab world and 33rd globally in the misery index
Today at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Trade announces the achievement of self-sufficiency in ration card materials
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Finance releases funding for state employees’ salaries for the month of March
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Elon Musk: 20 seats won by Biden and his party with the votes of “illegal immigrants”
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» A "paradigm shift" awaits the regions of the belt and outskirts of Baghdad
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» “Speicher and Malwiya Fund”..Parliamentary Finance talks about “illegal fees” in state departments
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Government admission of the failure of the meter campaign: Generators’ compliance is “almost non-exi
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Iraq is proceeding with the zero nuclear reactor project.. Find out its details
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» The decision to “reduce exports”... “unplanned” production for Kurdistan will cost Baghdad half a bi
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» The powers of Kurdistan.. The Federal Court confirms its commitment to what was agreed upon by the “
Today at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Launching funding for state employees’ salaries for the month of March
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Iraq and Syria top the "least safe" Arab countries
Yesterday at 7:23 am by Rocky
» Governor of Baghdad: 20 projects will be included during the current year in the city of Nahrawan
Yesterday at 7:20 am by Rocky
» More than $242 million in central bank sales today
Yesterday at 7:17 am by Rocky
» Advisor: Sudanese is determined to close the displacement file
Yesterday at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The implementation of the 2023 budget witnessed a success that must be invested in
Yesterday at 7:13 am by Rocky
» The Baghdad Council will decide on the nomination of the committees in the coming days
Yesterday at 7:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai: The Sunni community is not in favor of removing American forces
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» A warning from Al-Rasheed to those wishing to apply for advances and loans
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Azerbaijan expresses its desire to participate in the implementation of joint projects in the oil an
Yesterday at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Fuel cards arouse citizens' discontent
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 3/16/24 0:05 / 18:16 Iraq Federal Court Brings - Strength to Financial - Politic
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» MM&C 3/18/24 Sudanese Advisor: Iraq will leave government monetary dealing in mid-2024
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» A delegation from the Kurdistan government visits Baghdad to discuss the issue of localization of sa
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Director of the Central Oil Company: We are keen to provide the appropriate investment environment
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» The Energy Parliament calls for reporting generators violating government pricing
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» A representative reveals the fate of the laws of “previous sessions”
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Politician: Coordination holds the keys to resolving the “Parliament Presidency” conflict
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq wants to carry out its peaceful activity in the field of atomic energy
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Including a minister and a parliamentarian... 38 arrest and recruitment orders were issued against t
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Integrity: Citizens’ cooperation resulted in detecting inflation and returning state funds
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Agriculture presents 97 projects to the Ministerial Council for the Economy
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We succeeded in implementing the 2023 budget, and we must continue to complete economic p
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Labor adopts new mechanisms to reduce the phenomenon of begging
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Electronically.. directing the collection of fees tomorrow in an Iraqi governorate
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Held in Brussels.. Iraq receives an official invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan has been paralyzed. There has been no liquidity in hand for 50 days, and the truth has bee
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» The dollar continues to decline against the Iraqi dinar on the stock exchange and exchange offices
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Oil reveals the reasons for Shell’s withdrawal from Nebras: It will be divided into
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» The Housing Fund advises loan applicants and launches a link for inquiries
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» He stressed that the government’s vision is to make one class not exceed 25 students...Government me
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim and Al-Halbousi stress the importance of choosing a speaker for Parliament in accordance wi
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Iron and Steel Company: Iraq is on the verge of a major industrial revolution
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Economists: Citizens still prefer cash transactions over electronic transactions
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» The compass of Iraq's foreign policy in a world of turbulent polarization
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: The federal budget is in the corridors of the Council of Ministers, and there
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Integrity calls on citizens to report the inflation of funds in the sector of the Ministry of Labor
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs the launch of initiatives for young businessmen and investors
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Representative agriculture emphasizes taking supportive measures for the local product
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» An economist calls on the government to support and stimulate the private sector
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Al-Ittihad: Employees and retirees in Kurdistan paid the price of political differences with Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai and Al-Hakim discuss the importance of achieving political and constitutional entitlemen
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Only 23 million dunums. Iraq exploits approximately 50% of its arable land
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Türkiye considers it a political issue.. Where have the negotiations reached regarding Iraq’s water
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Sudanese receives an invitation to attend the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels - Urgent
Yesterday at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Central Bank sales exceed $240 million today
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:52 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance calls on the government to expedite sending the 2024 budget to Parliament
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:47 am by Rocky
» ‘We’re So Sick of It’: Northern Border Crisis Gets Worse
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 6:35 am by Bama Diva
» A representative holds Kurdistan responsible for the faltering legislation of the oil and gas law
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:27 am by Rocky
» Warnings of the danger of the increase in foreign labor in Iraq
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:26 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports to America decreased within a week
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:25 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs an “important” meeting to form the Kirkuk government
Sun 17 Mar 2024, 5:23 am by Rocky