Simply everytime you thought points 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 Sport 1 in direction of the Florida Panthers, coach Jim Montgomery couldn’t say whether or not or not his captain Patrice Bergeron would play or who his goaltender was going to be.
Bergeron, who left Thursday’s frequent season finale in Montreal with what was termed an larger physique harm, didn’t take part inside the Bruins’ two weekend practices, nor did he participate inside the non-obligatory morning skate on Monday that observed a small group of players hit ice at Warrior Enviornment. Bergeron has not solely been dealing with what Montgomery referred to as a nagging harm, he was moreover battling the bug.
Ullmark, who left last Tuesday’s residence finale with a lower physique harm, did exit on the ice briefly, as did Jeremy Swayman, who had missed Sunday’s apply with illness. Windfall goalie Brandon Bussi was recalled on an emergency basis in case one among many goalie’s was not able to go effectively with up. Of the two key players, it appeared as if Ullmark was the additional extra more likely to play.
Montgomery moreover intimated that there have been completely different players who had been questionable.
How disconcerting is that?
“Just a little bit,” said Montgomery.”I’d like to return in proper right here and allow you to know the exact traces and D pairings and who’s starting in web, nonetheless the luxurious we’ve is we’ve unbelievable depth and whoever ends up being healthful adequate to go tonight, everyone knows we’ve an opportunity to have success if we play Bruins hockey. We know it’s going to be a terrific check out it doesn’t matter what, no matter who’s inside the lineup for us on account of everyone knows how good the Florida Panthers are.”
Requested if it was harm or illness that made Ullmark questionable, Montgomery wasn’t giving it up.
“We’re simply going to see how he feels this morning. And Swayman was one of many guys who fell sick, so we’ll see how he feels as effectively,” said Montgomery.
The bug has been going by the roster for a couple of weeks. David Pastrnak, Tomas Nosek, Jakub Lauko, and now Bergeron and Swayman are players that everyone knows have been felled by it. Lauko misplaced eight kilos when he dealt with it, said Montgomery.
Montgomery, who maintained his regular upbeat outlook, pointed to how the workforce responded when having fun with with out important players, first initially of the yr as soon as they’d been missing Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk as a consequence of offseason surgical process, and later inside the yr as soon as they’d been resting players.
“I feel our psychological depth, due to Bergeron, due to the tradition that’s been right here, I don’t fear about It. We went into Carolina with out Bergeron, Marchand and (Hampus) Lindholm after which Pastrnak and McAvoy and (David) Krejci took over the management reins. We’re blessed within the locker room,” said Montgomery. “I look firstly of the yr after we had three guys out and we might have three guys out tonight. However (GM) Don Sweeney’s achieved an unimaginable job of constructing the depth of our lineup all year long. We’re going to put a extremely good lineup out on the ice irrespective of who’s on the market.”
This isn’t the first time that the B’s have been hit by a bug on the unsuitable time. Once they went on their Stanley Cup run of 2011, captain Zdeno Chara was hit with a bug earlier to Sport 1 of the playoffs in direction of the Canadiens. He was ineffective inside the firs recreation after which, after spending the night time time inside the hospital with dehydration as a result of illness, he wanted to overlook Sport 2. The B’s misplaced every these video video games at residence, nonetheless bounced once more to win the gathering and go on a storied run.
Whether or not or not historic previous can repeat itself, that’s one factor the membership would barely not be dealing with correct now.
Montgomery did say that David Krejci, who missed the ultimate six video video games with a lower physique harm, and Derek Forbort, out since March 16, could possibly be once more inside the lineup. He moreover said there’s a terrific likelihood Nick Foligno, out since February 28, would return.
