The Boston Bruins currently sit in ninth place in the entire league which is amazing considering their current injury situation. The Bruins’ current injury report includes: John Moore, Brandon Carlo, Urho Vaakanainen, Kevan Miller, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara, and, last but not least, Patrice Bergeron. These injuries could prove costly to the Bruins in the long run as they currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and cannot really afford to lose many games in the tight playoff race.
According to multiple reports, both Chara and Bergeron are expected to miss at least a month due to injuries. Chara injured his MCL in a collision last Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche, and Bergeron injured his ribs in a collision last Friday against the Dallas Stars. If they are out at least a month you should expect them to miss around 15 to 20 games which can serve as a major blow as the Bruins continue to try and contend for a playoff spot.
The Bruins have received some good news as McAvoy, Vaakanainen, and Miller are expected to rejoin the team for Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Of those three, Miller is the only one expected to be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game. Despite Miller’s return, the Bruins will still be missing four of their top six defensemen due to injury.
The Bruins are currently working with three rookies on the defensive end and for the most part they have all stepped up. Jeremy Lauzon has played eight games this season, he has one goal and maintained an even plus/minus rating. Connor Clifton and Jakub Zboril have both played two games for the Bruins and, so far, they have only allowed a total of two goals.
So far, the Bruins have been exceptional considering all the injuries to their defense, but how long will this last with the absence of Bergeron? Due to Bergeron’s injury, the Bruins have decided to split up Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak in an effort to even out the scoring throughout the lineup. Pastrnak will remain on the first line with David Krejci and Anders Bjork, while Marchand will be the left wing on the second line with Jake DeBrusk and Joakim Nordstrom. Knowing Bruce Cassidy, you should expect to see the lines shuffled quite a bit over the next month.
If the Bruins can continue to win, or at least stay in the playoff picture for the next month or so, then it would be a testament to how good the Bruins’ young depth is especially at defense. If the Bruins struggle over the next month in the absence of Bergeron and Chara, you should expect to see some rookies get an opportunity with the team, particularly at forward. Whether it be Jack Studnicka who has 28 points in 21 games as the captain for the Oshawa Generals, or maybe Trent Frederic who has five goals in 13 games for the Providence Bruins, it is very possible you may see some fresh faces for the Bruins very soon.