Post by torontogm on Apr 5, 2010 15:47:57 GMT -5
Norfolk, VA - The Toronto Marlies picked up yet another win tonight in Norfolk, guaranteeing that they will be regular season champions after the Halifax Citadels lost the night before. At worst the Marlies will win the season by 4 points, but the news surrounding the team was not all good. At 6:01 of the third period Admiral forward Michael Grabner deflected a shot that somehow managed to catch star goaltender Alexander Salak's right arm at an odd angle, leaving him with a deep bruise.
"Any time you see any player go down with a an injury, it's not good, but with the way Alex has played all season, my heart just about stopped," said coach Jim Schoenfeld.
Initial reports were that Salak could miss as much as a couple of months, meaning they would have to enter the playoffs with backup Ben Bishop carrying the lead, but a further diagnosis has Salak as being out for a couple of weeks at most. He will almost certainly play at some point during the opening round of the playoffs.
"Salak has been incredible for us all year. I think most of us thought he'd be a reliable backup, but he has been lights out all year," said defenseman Brendan Bell. "Having said that, Bishy has been great any time he's been between the pipes, so we'll be fine in the meantime."
The Marlies have just weathered a rash of injuries on the blueline, with Brennan Evans, Viacheslav Voynov, and Kevin Schaeffer all spending time on the injury list. This came on the heels of the parent Leafs dealing top defenseman Cody Franson to Nashville in the Spezza trade.
"We have been blessed with good depth this year, and the commitment by management to leave good players here to develop and allow for a good run in the playoffs. We've been through a bit recently, and we'll just play through. I'm very confident in Bishop and all the players in front of him. We don't have to change a thing when he's in," said Schoenfeld.
James Neal was once again the first star of the game, as he assisted on both Marlies goals. He has been slightly better than a point per game player and the heart and soul of the Marlies since a very difficult first half of the season with the big club. "James has been incredible and the passes he made to set Andre [Roy] up and then me for the second goal we excellent. He's always digging for the puck," said Bell.
With the playoffs just over a week away, the Marlies hope that their regular season success will translate into a long post season run with Neal and Salak leading the charge.
-Marlys Ruhl for the Toronto Sports Network
"Any time you see any player go down with a an injury, it's not good, but with the way Alex has played all season, my heart just about stopped," said coach Jim Schoenfeld.
Initial reports were that Salak could miss as much as a couple of months, meaning they would have to enter the playoffs with backup Ben Bishop carrying the lead, but a further diagnosis has Salak as being out for a couple of weeks at most. He will almost certainly play at some point during the opening round of the playoffs.
"Salak has been incredible for us all year. I think most of us thought he'd be a reliable backup, but he has been lights out all year," said defenseman Brendan Bell. "Having said that, Bishy has been great any time he's been between the pipes, so we'll be fine in the meantime."
The Marlies have just weathered a rash of injuries on the blueline, with Brennan Evans, Viacheslav Voynov, and Kevin Schaeffer all spending time on the injury list. This came on the heels of the parent Leafs dealing top defenseman Cody Franson to Nashville in the Spezza trade.
"We have been blessed with good depth this year, and the commitment by management to leave good players here to develop and allow for a good run in the playoffs. We've been through a bit recently, and we'll just play through. I'm very confident in Bishop and all the players in front of him. We don't have to change a thing when he's in," said Schoenfeld.
James Neal was once again the first star of the game, as he assisted on both Marlies goals. He has been slightly better than a point per game player and the heart and soul of the Marlies since a very difficult first half of the season with the big club. "James has been incredible and the passes he made to set Andre [Roy] up and then me for the second goal we excellent. He's always digging for the puck," said Bell.
With the playoffs just over a week away, the Marlies hope that their regular season success will translate into a long post season run with Neal and Salak leading the charge.
-Marlys Ruhl for the Toronto Sports Network