Rielly’s return bolsters Toronto defense
Toronto’s No. 1 defenseman Morgan Rielly was activated off injured reserve Tuesday and was in the lineup when the Maple Leafs played host to the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night.
Rielly, 26, missed 23 games because of a broken foot and is a welcome addition to a Toronto team fighting for positioning in a congested Eastern Conference playoff race.
Rielly, who last played Jan. 12, has three goals and 27 points in 46 games this season.
Although the Maple Leafs went 11-9-3 without him, he should receive major minutes on the back line as Toronto prepares for the playoffs, especially with Jake Muzzin (broken hand) out of the lineup.
The Maple Leafs have been waiting for Rielly to return to the type of offensive production he posted last season, when he finished with 20 goals and 72 points. He drew the start alongside Cody Ceci Tuesday night.
Canucks
Vancouver welcomed high-scoring forward Brock Boeser back to their lineup at an opportune time.
The 22-year-old has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, but he returned to face the New York Islanders Tuesday night.
The Canucks are currently one point out of the second wild card in the West, but they have gone 3-61 in their past 10 games.
Boeser had 16 goals and 29 assists in 56 games before he went down. He had 56 points last season.
Sharks
San Jose is known for having one of the loudest home-ice advantages in the NHL at SAP Center, better known as the Shark Tank. But after Santa Clara County banned mass gatherings for three weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Sharks might have to play their next home games inside an empty Tank.
“I’ve never been in the NHL and played a game without any fans. It would be very strange,” forward
Evander Kane said.
Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department announced Monday that mandatory order requiring cancellation of “mass gatherings” of more than 1,000 people for three weeks while it studies the spread of the virus and more COVID-19 tests become available. That ban includes all events at SAP Center in San Jose, where the Sharks have three home games in that span.