BOSTON — It was a costly day for the Bruins beyond just the two points they lost in the standings with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Penguins at the Garden.
The Bruins lost another defenseman when Steven Kampfer was struck with a high stick early in the second period, then had another scare when center Marc Savard went down in the third.
Kampfer did not return after going down bleeding heavily in the right corner 57 seconds into the second period. Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis was given a double minor for high-sticking on the play, though replays showed it may actually have been Zdeno Chara's stick that caught Kampfer.
"I think it might have been my stick that got him," Chara said. "I'm not 100 percent sure, but obviously it was a battle and then my stick got high and hit Steve. It was just an unfortunate play."
After the game, Bruins coach Claude Julien updated the rookie blueliner's condition.
"We just found out," Julien said. "He went to the hospital and he has a broken nose. They were just making sure, checking up on everything and right now that's what we've found out from them."
The Bruins can ill afford to lose Kampfer for long, as he has four goals in his first 18 games and has supplied the defense with some much-needed mobility and scoring touch. Boston is already without defenseman Mark Stuart (broken hand) and Andrew Ference (upper body), but Julien wasn't sure if Kampfer would miss any additional time.
"We're going to find out more, the severity of it and what it's going to consist of," Julien said. "And probably be able to give you guys as much as we can tomorrow."
Savard was left crumpled on the ice a little further up the boards on the same side of the ice after taking a hit from Pittsburgh defenseman Deryk Engelland with 12:50 left in the third. Savard stayed down for several minutes and was treated by the training staff, but skated to the bench under his own power and finished the game.
"I was looking kind of behind me for a pass to make," Savard said. "I think [Engelland] closed me off but he only got most of my head. That's what it felt like, but I haven't seen it."
Savard suffered a severe concussion on a cheap shot from Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke last March 7 and missed the first 23 games of this season with post-concussion syndrome, so any hit to the head is a reason for concern.
"I'm a little woozy to be honest with you, but I'll see how I feel the rest of the day and night here tonight," Savard said. "I haven't seen the replay. It felt like he just got my head, but [I'm] a little woozy."
Savard didn't seem too worried about any lingering effects.
"I felt OK," Savard said. "I just felt a little winded kind of thing, nothing bad right now. I just wanted to gather my thoughts, get the rest that I needed for a minute there. Everything came back together fine. Just monitor it the rest of the day, see how I feel because I was a little shaken up.
"Just a little dazed," Savard added. "I haven't gotten a headache yet or anything like that. Just a little dazed and just getting your bell rung a bit. I don't think it's anything to worry about right now."
Julien stated that he hadn't seen the hit, but didn't think it was a dirty play.
"I didn't see it until he was down and stayed down," Julien said. "He made a pass and it turned into a scoring chance, and then the first thing you know he's down. I didn't really see the hit and I haven't had a chance to review it either, but from what I was told there was nothing wrong. It was a clean hit. He was off balance and got his bell rung a little bit, but he seems to be fine."
