Take a look at the Boston Bruins’ defensive pairings Thursday night, and that will tell you all you need to know about how banged up the blue line is.
Whether it’s the Torey Krug-Connor Clifton top pairing or Steven Kampfer on the second unit, it’s clear the Bruins simply have been decimated in their back end. At the moment, Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller and Urho Vaakanainen all are out with various ailments.
While concrete dates for returns are non-existent, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy after morning skate on Thursday provided some updates on McAvoy (concussion) and Carlo (upper body).
“He’s progressing,” Cassidy said of McAvoy, via Bruins.com. “He’s out with (skating and skills coach Kim Brandvold) a little bit early doing some work and then graduated to our practice. Hopefully he’s back with us tomorrow.
“It’s a day-by-day process for him. He’s doing better. We obviously miss him. Will be nice to get him back when that day comes.”
The news is better for Carlo.
“He’s close,” Cassidy said. “He’ll get another good practice in tomorrow, take some contact and hopefully Saturday’s the day.”
The Bruins have shown great resolve in the face of all these injuries, keeping themselves in a competitive spot in the Atlantic Division. And as players get healthier, one has to think Boston will start trending upward.
