The Bruins beat the Blue Jackets in overtime on Monday night, but the win came at a cost after a physical, intense battle.
Wingers David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic exited Monday’s game early with injuries, and Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed after practice that they’ll be out Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. Based on the latest practice lines, Curtis Lazar will also come out of the lineup.
The obvious concern is with Pastrnak, who has 38 goals and 71 points in 69 games. Cassidy told reporters Tuesday that it’s possible Pastrnak aggravated an injury suffered on March 18 against the Winnipeg Jets, but either way, it sounds like a short-term issue.
“It might be that he hasn’t completely healed,” Cassidy said. “I don’t think it’s long-term, but we’ll put him as day-to-day.”
Frederic, meanwhile, left with what the team described as an upper-body injury and did not return.
Tomas Nosek is projected to replace Pastrnak on the Bruins’ second-line right wing spot, while Nick Foligno will slide up a spot to replace Frederic at left wing on the third line. The Bruins will then feature a brand-new fourth line with Anton Blidh, Jack Studnicka, and newcomer Marc McLaughlin.
Here are the projected lines and defensive pairings for Tuesday night at Detroit:
Offense
Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall – Erik Haula – Tomas Nosek
Nick Foligno – Charlie Coyle – Craig Smith
Anton Blidh – Jack Studnicka – Marc McLaughlin
Defense
Hampus Lindholm – Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort – Mike Reilly
McLaughlin slides back into the Bruins’ active lineup for his second career NHL game. He scored a goal and logged one hit in 13:08 of ice time against the Devils in his NHL debut on March 31. His heavy game seems like a solid fit for the fourth line, but the trio of Blidh, Studnicka and McLaughlin have also never played together in a game, so we’ll see how sharp they are as a unit.
The Bruins take on the Red Wings at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena. You can get the call of the game on 98.5 The Sports Hub, starting with pregame coverage at 7.
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.
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