Bruins announce roster for 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Boston Bruins have set up shop in Toronto for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with their roster finalized.
Up front, the Bruins will ice a 17-forward group featuring Patrice Bergeron, Anders Bjork, Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, Ondrej Kase, David Krejci, Sean Kuraly, Karson Kuhlman, Par Lindholm, Brad Marchand, Joakim Nordstrom, David Pastrnak, Nick Ritchie, Zach Senyshyn, Jack Studnicka, and Chris Wagner.
On defense, the Bruins will carry a 10-defender roster with Brandon Carlo, Zdeno Chara, Connor Clifton, Matt Grzelcyk, Torey Krug, Jeremy Lauzon, Charlie McAvoy, John Moore, along with prospects Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril.
And in net, the Bruins will roll with their Jennings-winning tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Tuukka Rask, and with Max Lagace and Daniel Vladar waiting in the wings as the Black and Gold’s reserves in net.
This 31-man roster means that the B’s only made two cuts from their Phase 3 training camp to Phase 4’s return to play, and that both came from their forward group, as Anton Blidh and Paul Carey were not among that group of 17 slated to skate in Toronto.
The 25-year-old Blidh, who honestly looked to be challenging fourth a fourth-line spot prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that paused the 2019-20 NHL season on Mar. 12, totaled 20 hits and five blocks in seven games with Boston. Carey, meanwhile, totaled 22 goals and 39 points as the P-Bruins’ captain in 2019-20, and reported to Boston camp with 100 games of career NHL experience to his name.
Their cuts from camp mean that the Bruins are invested in their high-round prospects — Frederic, Studnicka, and Senyshyn — as potential options in the event of an injury rash or COVID-19 outbreak.
It’s worth mentioning that Studnicka skated with Krejci and DeBrusk on Boston’s second line last week, and that Senyshyn’s status as a natural right-shot, right-wing has definite value to the Black and Gold’s roster complexion with the uncertainty surrounding Kase after he skated with the team just once during their two-week Phase 3 training camp.
The Bruins will continue to practice in Toronto’s “secure zone” this week before skating in an exhibition contest against the Blue Jackets on Thursday night and beginning their three-game, round-robin tournament on Sunday against the Flyers.
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