One of those players was injured center Gregory Campbell. He skated for the second straight day after returning to practice on Sunday, but is not certain yet whether he'll be able to get back on the ice again Monday night to play against Montreal.
"It felt better than [Sunday] so we'll see how it goes," Campbell said after the morning skate.
Campbell has missed the last three games after suffering a fractured foot when hit by a James Wisniewski shot in the opening period of the Bruins' 5-3 win in Columbus on Dec. 10.
"It was early in the first, I just kind of went out and fronted the shot and stayed on my feet," said Campbell, who played the rest of that game. "He's got a hard shot and he got all of it. It went off the outside of my foot. I've had a broken bone in my other foot before and you kind of feel the difference. There's kind of almost a snapping, just a real sharp pain. So I felt like there was something up but I didn't know until the next morning."
X-rays revealed the fracture the following day, and he's been forced to miss the Bruins three games since. The fact that Boston has won all three is the only thing making that absence bearable.
"It's not fun, but the silver lining is our team is playing extremely well," Campbell said. "So it's fun to watch us win, but it's not fun to not be a part of it. I want to be involved in the success of the team, but injuries are part of the game."
Campbell said it actually hurts more to walk than to skate on the injury, thanks in part to the alterations the training staff has made to his skate.
"I had the trainers punch it out a bit just so it relieves the pressure a bit," Campbell said. "If I play I'm sure I'll put a hard protective pad or shield over it in case I get another shot there."
Despite having already suffered one broken foot, Campbell has resisted wearing the extra protection in the past, but won't have a choice this time around.
"I've broken my other foot too and it's the smart thing to do, I know a lot of other guys around the league are doing it," Campbell said. "I couldn't get used to it. I felt like when I was turning I would always hit the ice and almost slip."
Campbell's status for Monday night's game won't be decided until later in the day and perhaps after he tests the foot again in warm-ups. The Bruins could opt to play it safe and give him some additional rest, but coach Claude Julien stated he won't hesitate to put Campbell back in the lineup if he's cleared by the medical staff.
"Not if he's ready to go," Julien said. "If a guy's ready to go there's no reason to hold him back and I always say the same thing, if our medical staff says he's clear and very unlikely that anything would happen, no reason to hold him back. If it's the other way around, I have no issues holding him back."
