The Boston Bruins are back in the Stanley Cup playoffs after a two-year absence. Some roadblocks have come their way since clinching a playoff berth.
Uncertainty looms for the Boston Bruins as the regular season has wrapped up. The team is unsure who they will play in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and some unfortunate circumstances have come their way. The Bruins finished the regular season with a record of 44-31-7 and 95 points after falling to the Washington Capitals by a score of 3-1. Currently holding the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. Their first round playoff opponent has still yet to have been determined.
Holes in the lineup
Noel Acciari is one of many Bruins players whose status is uncertain at the moment. He missed Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
Anton Khudobin left yesterday’s game after two periods with an illness. He allowed three goals on 24 shots before leaving the game. Something is in the air in Boston, just ask the Boston Red Sox, who have been hit hard by the sick bug as they start their regular season. There is a good chance they’re completely unrelated, but it’s a pretty inopportune time for a bug like this to hit both teams, no matter what the degree.
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With Torey Krug already out, the loss of Brandon Carlo is not ideal. Carlo went down after a questionable hit from behind by Capitals star sniper, Alexander Ovechkin and didn’t return to the game. It’s fair to say that the outcome of the hit was not what Ovechkin intended. He clearly felt bad for what happened, it’s an awkward position for a player to be put in. Ovechkin was not penalized for the hit.
Brad Marchand’s suspension is over and he will be back for the start of the first round. His suspension came at a bad time and certainly affected the team. The Bruins missed their elite pest and really could have used him in the last two games of the regular season.
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A former Boston University Terrier joins the mix
Former Boston University Terrier, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, made his debut against Washington on Saturday. He took over the third line center position, moving guys like Ryan Spooner, Frank Vatrano, and Matt Beleskey around. Although he didn’t make a lot of noise in his debut, it was good to see Forsbacka Karlsson get in the lineup. In 8:25 of ice-time, he didn’t register a point, had a blocked shot, an even rating, and went 50% on the faceoff dot.
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Luckily there is a good amount of time before the Bruins start up round one. Hopefully enough time for some important players to get healthy and provide some more clarity on the roster. Returning to the playoffs with a battered roster is not what the Bruins, or their fans, want to see.