BOSTON – Despite their recent struggles and ongoing distractions off the ice, there was a relatively upbeat mood on the ice and in the locker room as the Bruins practiced Friday at the Garden.
But that changed quickly when the subject of injured forward Nathan Horton came up in coach Claude Julien’s post-practice meeting with reporters.
Horton was once again not on the ice with his teammates, and it now appears that it will be some time before that happens. Horton suffered what was diagnosed as a mild concussion when hit by Flyers forward Tom Sestito in Philadelphia on Jan. 22 and has missed the six games since.
He did return to the ice to skate on his own on Sunday, but that session did not go well and Julien revealed Friday that Horton’s recovery has suffered a setback.
"He’s been pulled back," Julien said. "He’s got some symptoms, so we’ve pulled him back. That’s why I said it’s hard for me to come out every day and [say it’s] a step forward, a step backward."
This is definitely a step back for Horton, who also suffered a severe concussion during last spring’s Stanley Cup Final. There is no timetable for his return to the lineup at this point.
"He’s back to Square 1 and we’re giving him some time here,” Julien said. “Those symptoms once he got on the ice came back."
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