WILMINGTON, Mass. — Defenseman Colin Miller was not in attendance Friday as the Bruins took the ice for practice at Ristuccia Arena.
Head coach Claude Julien said the rookie blueliner, who’s played in 14 of Boston’s 15 games this season, was given a maintenance day, meaning he likely will be available for Saturday’s matchup with the Detroit Red Wings.
Miller had his streak of six consecutive games with a point snapped Sunday, then struggled Thursday as the Bruins blew a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Bruins also were without winger David Pastrnak, who is out indefinitely with a small fracture in his foot.
Some additional notes from Friday’s practice:
— Former Red Wings goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and Michigan native Torey Krug led the post-practice stretch as the Bruins prepped for their first meeting of the season with the Wings.
The game also will be Gustavsson’s first against his old team, though it’s unclear whether he or Tuukka Rask will get the nod in net for the B’s.
“In the end, it’s just another game,” the 30-year-old goalie said after practice. “Obviously, it’s kind of special to see some guys you know, but there’s no friends out there (on the ice). It’s just another game.”
— Krug made some noise after the session — literally — when a shot of his deflected off the crossbar and shattered an overhead light.
The defenseman also said he “felt good” in Thursday night’s game after taking two maintenance days earlier in the week.
— The loss to the Avalanche was the Bruins’ sixth in seven home games this season. They are one of just three NHL teams (along with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets) that have yet to record multiple wins on home ice.
“There’s no excuses for what’s been going on so far at home,” Krug said. “We have to turn it around, and that’s on us as players. We’ve got to go out and execute.”
— Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog was summoned for a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Friday following his high hit on Bruins winger Brad Marchand.
Patrice Bergeron said after practice that both Landeskog’s check — which a number of observers on Twitter have compared to Matt Cooke’s hit on Marc Savard — and Marchand’s retaliatory punch were ill-advised.
“It’s one of those hits that you’re trying to get rid of in the game,” Bergeron said. “At the same time, I understand that it’s a fast game, they’re trying to finish their checks. But on that one, it’s one of those that he’s coming across the middle with his head down. He can still play the puck on that. And same thing, Marchy knows that he probably shouldn’t have retaliated on that, as well.”
— Bruins defenseman Joe Morrow put in a considerable amount of post-practice work, leaving the ice nearly a half-hour after most of his teammates. Morrow was a healthy scratch for each of the Bruins’ last three games.
— Providence Bruins forward Seth Griffith suffered a concussion Wednesday night and will sit out the weekend, according to The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver. Injuries have been an issue this season for Griffith, who also missed significant time after spraining his MCL during Boston’s preseason opener.
Thumbnail photo via Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports Images
