Boston Bruins: Three gifts on the team’s holiday wish list

2. Bruins need extra size and toughness in the lineup

Monday’s game against the Washington Capitals was physical, and although they won the game, the Bruins still came out on the short end.

Torey Krug missed part of the second period and the entire third after a big hit from Tom Wilson. He suffered an apparent upper-body injury.

Then, in the third period, Wilson went after David Pastrnak, and a major scrum at center ice ensued. The referees tossed Wilson out of the game.

T.J. Oshie finished things off when he laid a hit on Charlie McAvoy late in the third. McAvoy struggled to get back to the bench, and he didn’t finish the game.

The Bruins didn’t back down against Washington’s physical play by any means; in fact, guys like Pastrnak showed some toughness against bigger opponents. That said, after the matchup with the Capitals, you can’t help but think the Bruins need some extra size and toughness in the lineup.

This especially was the case since Zdeno Chara was absent. He certainly makes a big difference when it comes to physical play, as we saw with his recent fights. However, given Chara’s importance on the ice, do the Bruins really want him to mix it up so much?

Sweeney would likely prefer to add some additional size to help bridge the physical gap with a team like Washington. Maybe a healthy Kevan Miller can help, but we don’t know when or if he’ll be good to go this season.

The Bruins don’t need a fighter or anything like that, but it’d be nice if Sweeney added a top-six winger with legitimate size and strength.