Health
Just like every other team in the league, the Bruins have been hit with injuries to some key pieces.
Brandon Carlo has been out since early March after sustaining a concussion on a hit from Tom Wilson of the Capitals, while Rask missed a month and a half with a back injury. Add in two games missed for Marchand for a false positive COVID-19 test and DeBrusk and Halak spending lengthy times on the league’s protocols list, the number of missed games is mind-numbing.
Bergeron missed his first game of the season Friday in the Black and Gold’s loss in Buffalo, which means only Nick Ritchie is the only Bruin to have played in all 47 games this season.
The Bruins are not blessed with depth in many areas, so remaining as healthy as possible is going to be key going forward in holding off the Rangers.
It’s hard to believe that the NHL regular season is winding down as fast as it is. The schedule was supposed to end for the Bruins on May 8, but because of their COVID-9 shutdown in mid-March, their regular season has been extended to May 11 to play all 56 games.
Overall, the Bruins have put themselves in a position to finish in at least the top four in the East Division and get a playoff berth. Just like every other season, the final two weeks are going to determine their fate when it comes to extending their season beyond game No. 56. It would be in their best interest to take care of business against the Sabres and Devils to make life a little easier.