|
The Bruins are back, kind of |
|
|
|
|
|
The Bruins returned to practice Sunday, coming out of the NHL’s pause through the holiday break.
However, with their return, comes two more game postponements, Monday night against the Penguins and Wednesday in Ottawa.
The Bruins are next scheduled to host the Sabres on New Year’s Day and then travel to Detroit the following day.
Returning from the COVID list and practicing over the last two days have been Taylor Hall, Anton Blidh, Brad Marchand, Craig Smith, Patrice Bergeron, Jeremy Swayman, Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar.
Charlie Coyle was added to the protocol list, joining Brandon Carlo, however, head coach Bruce Cassidy expects Carlo to join the group at some point during the week.
"Knock on wood we don't lose anybody else. It's only Charlie Coyle and then Brandon for half the week,” said Cassidy. “We should get to see him later in the week. So in that regard, we can we can get some good work done with the full group."
As for COVID, cases continue to rise and the brief pause did not seem to slow much down as over 135 players remain on the COVID list with 30 added on Monday.
While the news is good on who has returned, hopefully signaling the end of the COVID outbreak inside the organization, now the Bruins have to worry about other issues such as more postponements and the reality that games played with a reduced capacity could be ahead.
As of now, the Bruins have not had or heard of any discussions about reducing capacity inside TD Garden.
“Haven't heard anything. I know that they've issued some city mandates that we've got to start following by January 15,” team president Cam Neely said. “But reduced capacity, I haven't heard that. I certainly hope that's not going to be the case."
With NHL players no longer participating in the Olympics, the NHL is planning on using the period previously allocated to the Olympic break to reschedule postponed games. With the league originally scheduled to pause their season from Feb. 3 through Feb. 22, TD Garden is booked for 10 nights during that time.
One of the first to step on the ice Sunday as the Bruins retuned to Warrior Ice Arena was Tuukka Rask who continues to be around the team as he rehabs from off-season hip surgery.
Following practice Cassidy admitted that Rask could be ready to go in as little as three weeks.
Three weeks from Sunday’s practice would be Jan. 16, two days before the Bruins begin a four-game homestand. The Bruins are on the road from Jan. 8 through Jan. 12 with stops in Tampa Bay, Washington and Montreal.
"We had to make a determination, if we're on the road, we're traveling, one of those is a day off, how are we going to get him what he needs and still take care of us, right?" said Cassidy.”
“If he didn't go with us, where is he getting the work? Is it Providence? Injured players here? I think that was the week they were saying any time after that he may be ready to go if his doctors clear him to play."
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»