Bruins general manager Don Sweeney issued injury updates on four of their defensemen on Monday, less than 24 hours after Boston eliminated the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of their Stanley Cup playoff series.
Sweeney told reporters that left-shot defensemen Jeremy Lauzon (hand) and Jakub Zboril (upper body) are both expected to be available at the start of the second round, where the Bruins await the winner of the series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.
On the right side, Sweeney said that Kevan Miller (undisclosed) is “doing OK,” but is “still early in the recovery phase” of an injury sustained from a high hit by Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov during Friday’s Game 4. Miller was discharged from the hospital and returned home on Saturday.
Right-shot defenseman Steven Kampfer recently underwent hand surgery and is unavailable for the Bruins.
Once Miller and Lauzon are both healthy, the Bruins will have an interesting decision on the right side of the defense. Connor Clifton originally stepped in for Lauzon and played well in a third-pairing role against the Capitals. Jarred Tinordi entered the lineup for Miller in Game 5. They obviously showed during the series that they’re willing to play with two right-shot defensemen on one pairing.
The banged-up Bruins will have, at a minimum, four days to rest and get healthy. The Penguins and Islanders are tied 2-2, with Game 6 coming on Wednesday. If necessary, they will play Game 7 on Friday.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
