The shortened NHL season, with its quick start and jam-packed schedule, was supposed to mean a plethora of injuries across the league. While some teams, like the Senators, have fallen victim to that prediction, the Bruins have been one of the luckier clubs when it comes to medical issues this season.
The B’s entered Monday’s game in Ottawa having missed just seven man games as team this season to injury (Ottawa, meanwhile, had lost 112 entering Monday). That may be about to change.
Forward Chris Kelly left the game Monday and did not return after colliding with Senators forward Chris Neil in the neutral zone. The two players’ legs crashed together, and Kelly got by far the worst of it. The veteran center was down on the ice for a few minutes before being helped off, putting virtually no pressure on his left leg.
The B’s were tight-lipped about his status after the game, offering little information other than the fact that Kelly will travel with the club when the Bruins head to Pittsburgh for a game with the Penguins on Tuesday.
“No, he’s being looked at. Nothing yet,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien told reporters after the game, according to the team’s Twitter feed. “We’re going to bring him to Pittsburgh and we’ll see how things pan out, but nothing more [update-wise] than that.”
If Kelly were to miss any time, it would be extremely rare. He simply does not miss hockey games. In his seven full NHL seasons, he’s played at least 75 games in each. He’s played in all 82 games four times and played 81 games twice.
