Boston Bruins blueliners getting ready to get back to work.
Oct 30, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid (54) at the face-off circle against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
After a very long stretch for the Boston Bruins, the majority of the injured players for the team are looking like they are ready to come back on the ice. While the battered Bruins have done an outstanding job of playing through adversity (not to mention the assistance of some talented players from the AHL’s Providence Bruins), they’re looking forward to having their core group back together as they head into the new year. That counts doubly so for the talent the Bruins have been missing in their defensemen.
Adam McQuaid has lost half the season so far to injuries. Due to the hits inflicted on his lower body, he has only played in eighteen games this season, and his presence on the blue line is missed. According to Coach Claude Julien, he’s making the trip to Nashville when the Bruins take on the Predators tomorrow night. ”
He’s a possibility,” offered Julien. “He’s coming on the road trip so certainly we’ll make that decision tomorrow [Monday]. As long as he feels good and he’s ready to go, we could see him in the lineup. For us, when a guy is ready to go, he’s ready to go. You don’t hold a guy back when he’s ready to go just because you’re looking at the schedule and I think right now it’s a matter of, if he’s ready to g,o he should be playing. So I don’t know that we should be holding him back any longer when he’s feeling good.”
“He’s telling us he’s feeling pretty good right now, so we’ll make sure that’s the case tomorrow.”
Adam McQuaid’s roommate, and last year’s Seventh Player Award winner Dougie Hamilton is also looking better. Hamilton has been out for the last two weeks (also with a lower body injury) and was given the ‘OK’ to resume training with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides. (For those who have been watching the ‘Behind the B’ series, he’s the coach that trains the staff like a demon, and swears like a sailor on leave.)
McQuaid has been one of those solid players for us. He’s not a big point scorer, but he cares about his team, and is fearless when it comes to dropping the gloves. When Buffalo Sabres’ John Scott leveled Loui Eriksson, McQuaid engaged Scott almost immediately. He’s missed on the blue line, and his return tomorrow night would be a great shot in the morale department for the Black and Gold.
Hamilton is a stronger scorer than McQuaid. He’s gotten much more comfortable in the offensive zone, and has improved in his two-zone transition. He’s deceptively fast, and constantly improves as he starts his second NHL season for Boston.