The only silver lining for the Bruins is that they still have three weeks to get healed up before the playoffs begin.
It looks like they’re going to need it, because their injury list just keeps growing, especially on defense. The Bruins entered Tuesday night’s game against the St. Louis Blues already missing their leading goal-scorer in David Pastrnak and two top-four defensemen in Hampus Lindholm and Matt Grzelcyk.
Then, in a 4-2 loss, they lost another top-four defenseman, as Brandon Carlo left the game midway through the first period, after just six shifts, and did not return. The team announced during the second period that Carlo was “unlikely to return” to the game, but did not specify why.
Coach Bruce Cassidy said after the game that Carlo “wasn’t’ feeling good.”
“He left. Wasn’t feeling good midway through the first,” Cassidy said. “So I guess he’ll get re-evaluated tonight or tomorrow. I haven’t heard. I was told he was out for the night.”
Cassidy was then asked whether it was an injury or illness for Carlo, and said he believes it was an injury. It’s worth noting that Carlo did go into the boards awkwardly on Sunday on a hit from behind by Washington’s Lars Eller, although it’s unclear if that’s in any way connected to his departure on Tuesday.
“I think it was more injury,” he said. “That’s what I was told. Never thought of it. I assumed it was an injury.”
Carlo’s injury knocked the Bruins down to five defensemen for two-plus periods for a second straight game, as Grzelcyk’s injury on Sunday also came in the first period.
Charlie McAvoy was all that remained of the Bruins’ usual top four, with Derek Forbort, Mike Reilly, Connor Clifton and Josh Brown joining him to pick up extra minutes. All five finished the game with over 19 minutes of ice time. McAvoy wound up at 27:02, marking the fifth straight game he has topped 25 minutes and the third time in the last four he has gone above 27.
If all three of Lindholm, Grzelcyk and Carlo remain out for Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators, Jack Ahcan would be the next man up. The Bruins recalled Ahcan from AHL Providence on Tuesday, but he was a healthy scratch as the seventh D against St. Louis.
If they need to go any further beyond Ahcan, things get dicey. Of the seven defensemen who dressed for the Providence Bruins in their most recent game on Monday, none have played an NHL game this season.
It’s also possible the Bruins will get Grzelcyk back for Thursday. Cassidy said earlier Tuesday that Grzelcyk “feels a little better” after suffering an upper-body injury on Sunday and that he could be ready to return Thursday.
Cassidy also said he still didn’t believe Lindholm and Pastrnak’s injuries were anything “long, long term,” but that both were “dragging on a little longer than I thought.”
The Bruins are fortunate that they’re safely in the playoffs (they actually had a chance to clinch a spot Tuesday night, but obviously didn’t). They can give everyone as much time as they need to heal up and not rush anything. There’s still time to get everyone back before the playoffs.
Still, they certainly can’t feel great about the sheer number of injuries that have been piling up over the last week-plus. And if any of these injuries -- all to key players -- do end up lingering into the postseason, they could be in trouble.
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