Bruins have two major absences from practice ahead of Game 5 in Buffalo

After the Boston Bruins' embarrassing Game 4 loss at home on Sunday afternoon to the Buffalo Sabres, they are down 3-1 and on the brink of elimination on Tuesday night in Game 5 in Western New York.

Boston has an uphill climb to even get the series back to Boston on Friday night for Game 6. After Sunday's performance, who actually sees that happening? To compound matters for a club and staff that was searching for answers after the brutal loss on home ice.

On Sunday, forward Viktor Arvidsson left the game after taking a hit from Buffalo's Mattias Samuelsson and did not return. He was ruled out of the game with an upper-body injury. That was a huge blow to the Black and Gold. On Monday, he was absent from practice.

Bruins coach Marco Sturm gives no Viktor Arvidsson or Nikita Zadorov injury update after practice on Monday

The Bruins hit the ice at Warrior Ice Arena for practice before they flew to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday night. Absent were Arvidsson and defenseman Nikita Zadorov. After practice, Sturm (unsurprisingly) had no update on either player and their status for Game 5 with Boston's season on the line.

Now we know that Arvidsson's injury was related, but what's up with Zadorov? Is it injury-related, or does it have something to do with the cross-checking major he got late in the game when he went after Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin? He was hit with a $5,000 fine from the NHL on Monday for the cross-check. It is not surprising that Sturm isn't tipping his hand ahead of Game 5, but it is hard to see Avridsson playing after the hit.

That means we are likely to see Lukas Reichel back in the lineup along with another forward. Who could that be? Mikey Eyssimont? James Hagens? Alex Steeves? Who knows, but Sturm did say, according to Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe, that there will be changes for Game 5 on Tuesday. Is it too late in the series for more changes?

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