The Bruins put two of their defensive regulars on the shelf before Monday’s game against the Capitals in Washington as Derek Forbert and Connor Clifton became the latest Boston players to do a stint in NHL COVID-19 protocols. Another staff member also entered protocols.
The two blueliners joined Jake DeBrusk and Tomas Nosek in protocols. Nick Foligno was also out of Monday’s lineup after suffering an injury in the Bruins’ win over Tampa Bay.
Urho Vaakanainen and John Moore moved into the lineup as Boston’s third defensive pair. The Bruins have seen a large chunk of their roster already miss time with COVID are in better shape than many NHL teams as four games had to be canceled Monday.
Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Craig Smith, Charlie Coyle Brandon Carlo, Taylor Hall, Oskar Steen, Curtis Lazar, Jeremy Swayman, Frederic and Blidh all spent time in NHL protocols last month when the league paused briefly as part of a league-wide outbreak before Christmas.