After having Tuesday completely off, Jim Montgomery and the Bruins were welcomed back to the rink with a pleasant sight, as goaltender Linus Ullmark, center Matt Poitras, and defensemen Brandon Carlo and Derek Forbort were on the ice for Wednesday’s session at Brighton’s Warrior Ice Arena.
It was the closest thing the the Bruins have experienced to ‘full health’ in quite some time, even from a practice standpoint.
ELMONT, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 15: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 15, 2023 in Elmont, New York. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
With Brandon Bussi returned to Providence on Tuesday (and not called back up for Wednesday’s practice) and Ullmark a full go for Wednesday’s on-ice session, the Bruins have confirmed that Linus Ullmark is back to being an active member of their roster.
Injured in what was a scary-looking, non-contact injury in the overtime session of last week’s overtime loss to the Coyotes, the first positive for Ullmark came with his presence at last Saturday’s morning skate ahead of what was a victory over the Blues. Ullmark did not outright participate in the skate, but the fact that he was there (and in pads and uniform) was the first sign that the Bruins had indeed dodged a bullet with the reigning Vezina Trophy and a key part of Boston’s one-two punch in goal with Jeremy Swayman.
The Bruins themselves also can’t help but feel as if they’ve dodged a massive bullet given how bad Ullmark’s injury looked back in Arizona.
“Yeah, it [looked bad],” Montgomery noted. “My initial reaction was, ‘Jesus, that might be a while.’ It’s a good thing that he’s got good remedy powers because it’s not going to be as long as we thought.”
As of right now, the Bruins are unsure if Ullmark will start or backup Swayman on Thursday night, but barring a setback, he will be in uniform for the club moving forward.
Ullmark has posted a 13-5-2 record with a .915 save percentage this season.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 30: Matthew Poitras #51 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the second period against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden on October 30, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Another player injured in last week’s overtime loss to the Coyotes, Matt Poitras was a full participant in Wednesday’s session, and appears pretty close to a return to 100 percent.
“Poitras, we’ll see how he feels [Thursday],” Montgomery noted. “I know it’s kind of vague. But it’s the steps they take. It’s not like they have a good practice today [and that’s it]. We gotta see how they feel tomorrow with the areas that they were administering for lack of a better word.”
Injured in an attempted hit on the Coyotes’ Sean Durzi, the Bruins considered Poitras ‘day to day’ and kept the 19-year-old with them for the remainder of their road trip, which is always a good sign. One source told 98.5 The Sports Hub that Poitras was “banged up” but that he avoided anything serious.
Poitras acknowledged that it was a shoulder injury that’s kept him out action for the last three games, but battling through the physicality of an NHL season is something that the true first-year pro has gotten used to at this point, with last week’s run-in with Durzi far from his worst hit to date.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 02: Brandon Carlo #25 of the Boston Bruins after assisting a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden on November 02, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Out of action for the last four games with an upper-body injury, Brandon Carlo seemingly took a big step forward Wednesday, and appears to be inching closer to game-time decision status.
“Carlo is closer [to a return to game action],” Montgomery said. “We’ll see how he feels [Thursday] before we know for sure where he’s at.”
If you’re looking for additional positives within that, Carlo did skate opposite Hampus Lindholm in Boston’s practice on Wednesday, which would be an indication that he’s closer to playing than not. But like with any player working their way back from an injury, it’s about the morning after and how Carlo’s body reacts to that before he’s given the full green light to jump back into action.
The B’s go-to defenseman in the defensive zone and on the penalty kill this year, Carlo has recorded 10 points a plus-15 rating — as well as 71 blocks and 51 hits — through 39 games this season.
Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort (28) vies to control the puck with Kings center Trevor Lewis (right) during the second period at Crypto.com Arena. (Alex Gallardo-USA TODAY Sports)
The true wild card in the mix, left-shooting defenseman Derek Forbort has not played for the Black and Gold since a Dec. 3 win over the Blue Jackets.
The Bruins moved Forbort to the long-term injured reserve, and at numerous points acknowledged that there was ‘no timeline’ for a return to the lineup. Forbort has been dealing with something all season, really, and the Bruins have done their best to manage it as best as possible. But a timeline is, in theory anyway, slowly coming into focus with Forbort on the ice for Wednesday’s practice.
“Forbort is not gonna be an option tomorrow night, you know what I mean?” Montgomery acknowledged. “He’s just starting the steps towards progressing back.”
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Forbort has four assists and a plus-9 rating, along with 29 hits and 35 blocked shots, in 20 games for the Bruins this season.
