Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo inches closer to return
The Bruins may have lost Kevan Miller (larynx) for the next five weeks, but the return of Brandon Carlo seems around the corner.
On the ice with his teammates on Wednesday, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy called Carlo a ‘possibility’ to play on Thursday night against the New York Islanders, while Carlo himself seems more than ready for a return.
“If it were up to me, I probably would have jumped in a long time ago,” the 22-year-old Carlo said after Wednesday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “I think it’s the name of the game– if I come back in and I get injured that night, that just doesn’t look good. Overall, it’s very tough to sit around and watch when you really want to be playing.”
Injured in Nov. 11’s win over the Maple Leafs, the vague-yet-typical “upper-body” injury has kept Carlo on the shelf for the last eight games (the Bruins have gone 4-2-2 in Carlo’s absence), the 6-foot-5 defender feels as if he’s taken enough strides to warrant a much-welcomed return to the Boston lineup.
“I’m feeling good,” Carlo offered. “Not sure where I’m at with the medical staff yet, some questions there to be answered. But overall I’m feeling pretty good on the ice; Shooting’s good, passing’s good, contact’s pretty good. I’m hopeful.”
Carlo has two assists, a plus-1 rating, and has averaged a career-high 20:58 of time on ice per night in 16 games this season.