Bruins defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo ruled out for Tuesday vs. Flyers
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 05: Torey Krug #47 of the Boston Bruins talks with Brandon Carlo #25 during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanesat TD Garden on March 05, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Bruins will be down an entire second defensive pairing on Tuesday night, as the team has ruled both Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug out for tomorrow night’s meeting with the surging Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center due to upper-body injuries.
“Torey went into the boards with Killorn the other night; it’s a residual effect of that, so he’ll be day-to-day,” Cassidy said following Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “[Brandon] skated this morning, won’t play [Tuesday].
“We’ll target Friday or the weekend for [Carlo].”
As Cassidy mentioned, Krug suffered his apparent injury on a hit with the Lightning’s Alex Killorn last Saturday. (It’s worth mentioning that Krug did appear to have a shift that ended with him hobbling off and back towards the Boston bench, where he sat hunched over for a few moments before returning back to the ice and finishing with 22:18 in the losing effort.)
Carlo, meanwhile, was hammered in the face by an elbow from the Panthers’ Evgenii Dadnonov last Thursday in Sunrise, and missed last Saturday’s head-to-head with the Lightning. The elbow did not come with the major it should have, nor was Dadonov suspended for the incident. If Carlo’s injury is a head-related injury as you’d suspect, it could be the second confirmed (important to note) concussion of Carlo’s NHL career.
With Krug and Carlo out, the Matt Grzelcyk-Jeremy Lauzon duo will become Boston’s de facto second pairing, while John Moore will skate opposite Connor Clifton on the Black and Gold’s bottom pairing. Cassidy noted Clifton recent practice experience with Moore as a vote of confidence as the team’s third pairing against the Flyers.
For Clifton, who was activated off the injured reserve last Saturday, it will be the New Jersey native’s first NHL game since he was injured in a Dec. 29 meeting with the Sabres and missed the next 28 contests. Rust will be an obvious factor for Clifton, who has totaled two goals and a plus-4 rating in 30 NHL appearances this season, and there’s no denying that.
“I mean, he hasn’t played here for a while, so he’s going to have to find his game,” Cassidy said of Clifton’s return to action. “Stay within himself early on. Make some simple decisions, hopefully initiate some plays early so he gets into it. Obviously playing in Providence will help that, but still it’s not the same. That’s the hand you’re dealt when you’re coming off injury.”
The Bruins head to Philly with wins in seven of their last 10, while the Flyers have rattled off nine straight victories and have been downright dominant at home this year, with a 25-5-4 record on Broad Street.
