Jan 1, 2019; South Bend, IN: Chicago Blackhawks center David Kampf chases the puck with Boston Bruins center Joakim Nordstrom in the first period in the 2019 Winter Classic hockey game at Notre Dame Stadium.(Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Bruins are hoping Patrice Bergeron, who missed Friday’s practice with a lower-body injury sustained in Thursday’s shootout loss to the Lightning, will be ready to go for Saturday’s road head-to-head with the Maple Leafs.
They will not carry similar hope with forwards David Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom, however, as Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed on Friday that will travel to Toronto without either forward in tow.
“[Nordstrom], upper-body, he’s not traveling; Krejci, he’s not traveling either,” said Cassidy.
Krejci’s absence will make it two games in a row with the 33-year-old pivot, who suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of Monday’s game against the Ducks. Nordstrom’s injury, meanwhile, appeared to catch the Bruins a little bit by surprise, as Cassidy revealed that he had just heard about the injury prior to taking to the podium on Friday.
With Nordstrom out, Cassidy noted the options that he’s now presented when it comes to configuring a fourth line.
The Bruins could go for a heavier look and put David Backes back into the lineup and with Chris Wagner and Sean Kuraly on the fourth line. Backes has been scratched for three straight games, but has looked effective with the Kuraly-Wagner combo when given the chance this year. Or Cassidy could look to keep the group’s shutdown game together by moving Par Lindholm down to fourth-line center and shifting Kuraly over to left wing.
Cassidy also didn’t rule out the possibility of the Bruins reaching into Providence — he brought up Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Brendan Gaunce as potential options — for help if need be.
The silver lining for the Bruins here is that the Maple Leafs aren’t exactly coming into this game at 100 percent, with captain John Tavares currently out with a broken finger and with 15 goals surrendered over their last five games.
