There’s good news and bad news with David Backes.
The bad: The Boston Bruins winger suffered a knee laceration during the first period of the B’s 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The good: All things considered, Backes’ injury isn’t that bad.
Backes’ suffered the injury after Lightning forward Yanni Gourde inadvertently hit his knee with a skate blade. But although the cut knocked Backes out of the game and required multiple stitches, the veteran winger suffered no structural damage, according to Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Here’s what Cassidy said about Backes’ laceration after the game, per The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont:
Cassidy: no 'structural damage' on the deep Backes laceration. Approx 18 stitches to close wound. Unknown timeline to heal.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) March 18, 2018
Backes leaves building without the aid of crutches.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) March 18, 2018
Immediate concerns for Backes: risk of infection and need for swelling to abate. Finished with only 5:42 ice time.
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) March 18, 2018
Let’s hope nothing goes wrong during Backes’ recovery.
At the end of the day, Backes’ status for the playoffs likely is in no real jeopardy. Still, you can add him to the growing list of injured Bruins stars: Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara and Jake DeBrusk.
The Bruins are off Sunday before a Monday-night tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden.
