Just whenever you thought issues couldn’t look any brighter for the prospects of a Stanley Cup run for the Bruins, a nasty bug has hit the dressing room to wreak havoc on the front-runners’ post-season lineup.
On the morning of Monday’s Game 1 towards the Florida Panthers, coach Jim Montgomery couldn’t say whether or not his captain Patrice Bergeron would play or who his goaltender was going to be.
Bergeron, who left Thursday’s common season finale in Montreal with what was termed an higher physique damage, didn’t participate within the Bruins’ two weekend practices, nor did he take part within the non-obligatory morning skate on Monday that noticed a small group of gamers hit ice at Warrior Arena. Bergeron has not solely been coping with what Montgomery known as a nagging damage, he was additionally battling the bug.
Ullmark, who left final Tuesday’s residence finale with a decrease physique damage, did exit on the ice briefly, as did Jeremy Swayman, who had missed Sunday’s apply with sickness. Providence goalie Brandon Bussi was recalled on an emergency foundation in case one of many goalie’s was not in a position to go well with up. Of the 2 key gamers, it appeared as if Ullmark was the extra more likely to play.
Montgomery additionally intimated that there have been different gamers who had been questionable.
How disconcerting is that?
“A little bit,” stated Montgomery.”I’d love to return in right here and let you know the precise traces and D pairings and who’s beginning in internet, however the luxurious we’ve is we’ve unbelievable depth and whoever finally ends up being wholesome sufficient to go tonight, we all know we’ve a chance to have success if we play Bruins hockey. We comprehend it’s going to be a terrific take a look at it doesn’t matter what, regardless of who’s within the lineup for us as a result of we all know how good the Florida Panthers are.”
Asked if it was damage or sickness that made Ullmark questionable, Montgomery wasn’t giving it up.
“We’re just going to see how he feels this morning. And Swayman was one of the guys who fell ill, so we’ll see how he feels as well,” stated Montgomery.
The bug has been going by the roster for a few weeks. David Pastrnak, Tomas Nosek, Jakub Lauko, and now Bergeron and Swayman are gamers that we all know have been felled by it. Lauko misplaced eight kilos when he handled it, stated Montgomery.
Montgomery, who maintained his normal upbeat outlook, pointed to how the workforce responded when enjoying with out essential gamers, first initially of the yr once they had been lacking Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk due to offseason surgical procedure, and later within the yr once they had been resting gamers.
“I think our mental depth, because of Bergeron, because of the culture that’s been here, I don’t worry about It. We went into Carolina without Bergeron, Marchand and (Hampus) Lindholm and then Pastrnak and McAvoy and (David) Krejci took over the leadership reins. We’re blessed in the locker room,” stated Montgomery. “I look at the beginning of the year when we had three guys out and we may have three guys out tonight. But (GM) Don Sweeney’s done an incredible job of building the depth of our lineup throughout the year. We are going to put a really good lineup out on the ice no matter who is out there.”
This isn’t the primary time that the B’s have been hit by a bug on the unsuitable time. When they went on their Stanley Cup run of 2011, captain Zdeno Chara was hit with a bug previous to Game 1 of the playoffs towards the Canadiens. He was ineffective within the firs recreation after which, after spending the night time within the hospital with dehydration due to the sickness, he needed to miss Game 2. The B’s misplaced each these video games at residence, however bounced again to win the collection and go on a storied run.
Whether or not historical past can repeat itself, that is one thing the membership would slightly not be coping with proper now.
Montgomery did say that David Krejci, who missed the final six video games with a decrease physique damage, and Derek Forbort, out since March 16, could be again within the lineup. He additionally stated there’s a great probability Nick Foligno, out since February 28, would return.
Source: www.bostonherald.com