Sep 17, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Washington Capitals forward Troy Brouwer (20) shoots the puck in front of Boston Bruins forward Justin Florek (57) at 1st Mariner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins are once again digging deep into their AHL affiliate to cover injuries. Justin Florek, a forward with the Providence Bruins has been recalled on an emergency basis. He will likely get his first NHL start in the game against the Winnipeg Jets today. Florek has over a hundred games experience in the AHL, where he has scored fifty one points (twenty two goals) for Providence.
Florek appears to be in for Jordan Caron, who is listed with a back injury. Caron’s game play has stepped up of late(probably due to fears/rumors he’d be the first one on the trade block or sent back to Providence the moment the team was healthy again), and this injury is another one of those ill-timed events that has seemed to plague his career. Florek will be on the left wing on the Bruins fourth line today, which means Daniel Paille will be switching over to the right for this game.
Torey Krug took a maintenance day for yesterday’s practice and was listed as a game day decision. It appears he will be playing today.
The Bruins(27-12-2) have still been playing their Jekyll and Hyde game. The Bruins have had solid performances in the first and third periods. In contrast, the B’s second period is filled with bad plays, poor passes, and the Bruins seem to lose cohesion for no apparent reason. The Bruins still have a negative goal differential in the second period. Thankfully, as the Bruins hit the halfway mark through the season, they’re still the best in the Atlantic, and second in the Eastern Conference.
The Winnipeg Jets(19-19-5) are a .500 team, and have been at that level for the majority of the season. They can’t be taken for granted though. Dustin Byfuglien has been on a bit of a hot streak as of late, with two goals and five assists in his past seven games. Blake Wheeler was a member of the Bruins 2011 squad, and he knows the Bruins play style intimately. As long as the Bruins respect the Jets enough to play against their strengths, the Bruins should be able to collect two points in this matinee event.