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Boston Bruins: Playing it safe with several healthy scratches

By Andrew Thompson

TORONTO - APRIL 16: Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tries to rally his team late in the third period. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on April 16, 2018. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
TORONTO - APRIL 16: Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tries to rally his team late in the third period. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on April 16, 2018. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Bruins have decided to play it safe as they prepare for the first round of the 2018-19 playoffs.

Today, Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy announced that five of the team’s traditional starting players would be healthy scratches tonight. The following players are out for tonight’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild: Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Chris Wagner.

It makes sense.  The B’s have nothing left to prove at this point. They’ve also locked up their spot in the playoffs, so the Boston Bruins are just being careful as they prepare to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

Zdeno Chara is 41. While the captain has proven he’s still a powerhouse on defense, the night off will probably be good for him.

Smart call to have Boston’s Little Ball of Hate sit too. Brad Marchand just got his first 100-point season, so he has nothing more to prove in the regular season either.

Two years ago, David Krejci postseason’s performance was subdued after playing all 82 games that season, and the B’s are trying keep that from happening again. Krejci is having the most productive season in his career, and the team will need him against the Leafs.

I’m sure Coach Cassidy will be rotating these healthy scratches in the final games. You can expect to see Patrice Bergeron, Brandon Carlo, and David Pastrnak getting a breather in the near future.

These scratches also give opportunities to up-and-coming players to test their mettle at the NHL level. Trent Frederic and Zach Senyshyn have been called up to fill holes in the roster why the team rests up.

Trent Frederic has already put in 13 games for the Boston Bruins but has yet to tally a point for the team. He’s got 22 points (11 goals) in the 51 games he’s played in. He’ll certainly be game as he tries to earn a spot back on the roster.

Zach Senyshyn will be suiting up in Boston Bruins’ black and gold for the first time and will be skating on the second line tonight. Senyshyn has been a bit of disappointment for the B’s organization. He’s only put up 24 points (14 goals) in his 62 games played this season in Providence.  It’ll give him a chance to prove many of his critics wrong.

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My guess is that the B’s are trying to make this a confidence builder for him, and hopefully that can translate to success when they move him back down to Providence.

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