Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, the Boston Bruins return to the TD Garden ice Monday night to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s the middle game of a three-game homestand and one that feels like the Black and Gold need a positive result, to say the least. The news Monday was good before the game as the Bruins will be getting a key player against Columbus.
Injuries have buried the Bruins defense this season with Andrew Peeke going down on Nov. 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an upper-body injury. Then on Nov. 12, they lost Hampus Lindholm to a lower-body injury when he blocked a shot on the penalty kill and he was recently placed on injured reserve.
Andrew Peeke returning to the lineup vs. Blue Jackets; Kastelic is out
Acquired at the trade deadline last March from Columbus, Peeke will return to the lineup for the Black and Gold against his former team. His presence will be an added plus for Jim Montgomery, but it’s not going to fix the overall issues the Bruins have had this season through 19 games.
The news for Mark Kastelic was not as good. The fourth-line forward who was part of the Linus Ullmark deal in June with the Ottawa Senators, will be out of the lineup against the Blue Jackets. He left Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to St. Louis and was listed “day-to-day” by Montgomery after the game. He has been a surprising addition for Boston this season helping to solidify the fourth-line.
With Riley Tufte returned to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) on Sunday, Boston called up Jeffrey Viel from Providence on Monday, likely taking Kastelic’s spot in the lineup. The 27-year-old won’t replace what Kastelic gives the Bruins, but he will come in and play a very physical style of hockey and give them a spark with his play. Montgomery did say that he hoped Kastelic would potentially be back in the lineup on Thursday night against the Utah Hockey Club.