Well, it’s a good thing the Boston Bruins have a ton of depth on the blue line.
The Bruins currently are in the middle of a long layoff between games, with their next contest set for Thursday against the New Jersey Devils after last playing Saturday against the New York Islanders.
When the B’s do play the Devils, two left-shot blueliners, Matt Grzelcyk and Jakub Zboril, will be inactive for Boston.
“I don’t believe either one will (be ready for Thursday),” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy put simply after Tuesday’s practice.
Grzelcyk has not played since suffering a lower-body injury Feb. 10. He has been limited to just six games this season due to injuries. Zboril is dealing with an upper-body injury sustained in the loss to the Isles.
If both players indeed are out Thursday, their next chance to get back in the lineup will be Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers in Lake Tahoe.
In the interim, Connor Clifton was with Brandon Carlo on the second pairing at practice Monday, while John Moore and Steven Kampfer formed the third duo.
It has not been uncommon for the Bruins to be shorthanded on the back end this season with the various ailments Grzelcyk has dealt with. But being down two left side blue-liners is new territory for Boston this campaign.
