Don Sweeney addressed the media Wednesday, one day after the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series to set up a second-round date with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins general manager began his news conference with one quick injury update, noting Boston defenseman Kevan Miller suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower body ailment and is considered week-to-week at this point.
“You want your best players, but the war of attrition is what it is,” Sweeney said. “It’s going to exist as you go along in the playoffs, and we missed Kevan. He’s a big part of our hockey club. Other guys have stepped up. We have some guys that have some things that are dinged up, but they’re going to play through those things. They’ve always had a next-man-up approach from our coaching staff through our players.”
It’s likely the Bruins wouldn’t have used Miller to begin their series against the Blue Jackets even if the veteran blueliner was available, as head coach Bruce Cassidy seems comfortable with the third pairing of John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk behind the Zdeno Chara-Charlie McAvoy and Torey Krug-Brandon Carlo tandems.
Miller was limited to 39 games in the regular season while battling various injuries. He hasn’t played since April 4.
