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The Toronto Maple Leafs are nearing the end of a four-day break and will be getting back into action against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena Friday and Saturday night, well rested and with a slightly different look with players returning to the lineup.
The club lost Jimmy Vesey to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday after the winger was placed on waivers to clear space to activate goalie Jack Campbell, and in practice at the Ford Performance Centre this week, recently acquired forward Alex Galchenyuk and injured winger Wayne Simmonds took part.
The 2012 third overall pick was acquired from Carolina for Egor Korshkov and David Warsofsky on February 15 and scored eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in a six-game stint with the AHL Toronto Marlies.
"It was great for me to go down there and play a lot of games, because over the last month I didn't play that much and I (could) get my legs going and get my in my game back to where it needs to be," Galchenyuk said on Wednesday. "The time they put into working with me to get my game back where it needs to be, it's amazing."
Wayne Simmonds leads the stretch
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 18, 2021
Sheldon Keefe promised a “full bast… and “highly competitive… practice and the coach delivered
They worked on pretty much everything even shootouts pic.twitter.com/S2V3qXPts6
Galchenyuk skated with John Tavares and William Nylander on the second line, Joe Thornton took his spot alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line, allowing Zach Hyman to move down to the third line with Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev.
Simmonds has been out since breaking his wrist against Vancouver on February 6 and skated on the right side with Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza and took his place in front of the net on the first power play.
"When you come back from wrist injury, you want to be cognizant that you can make every single movement that's required, and not jump into it too quickly. Because if not, I think you're going to leave the team short handed with a guy who's not necessarily being able to used the way he should be," Simmonds said. "For me it's just making sure I can handle my own area, whether that'd be shooting or playing with pucks on the wall and with confidence and especially in front of the net. (I'm) just trying to figure out where I am in all those aspects before the weekend gets here and if they allow me to go and maybe I'll be able to go, but for now we're just playing it by ear."
A day after what Sheldon Keefe described as his best game of the season, William Nylander is back on the ice at the optional Leafs practice
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 12, 2021
Taking shots on Jack Campbell who is working his way back from the leg injury he re-aggravated in Edmonton pic.twitter.com/SBLCUz4dwl
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) March 18, 2021
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