The Boston Bruins may have taken a commanding 3-1 first-round lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they did lose one of their defensemen in the process.
Kevan Miller was on the receiving end of a high hit from Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov in the second period. The hit saw Orlov leave his skates and launch himself into Miller, who did not return and was sent to the hospital to undergo further evaluation.
Orlov originally was assessed a five-minute major. But after a lengthy review was downgraded to a double-minor for roughing.
Safe to say Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was not pleased with that decision.
“What happened there is the guy left his feet, borderline late, and drove right under his chin,” Cassidy said over Zoom. “He told me skating by that he felt that when they reviewed it he made contact first with his shoulder, whatever he said, upper-body, at the time. But it didn’t look that way from vantage point. Kevan’s at the hospital undergoing come CT’s. Until he gets back we won’t know nothing there. Obviously frustrating to watch that call, even a review, go by the wayside. Essentially a two-minute minor. Then later on you watch the penalty assessed to (Brad) Marchand and it’s just a complete head-scratcher sometimes how that’s a two-minute penalty.”
The Marchand penalty Cassidy is referring to was a questionable interference call, when it looked as if he had the lane advantage off a faceoff.
Miller’s status for Game 5 is unclear, but the Bruins indeed have a lot of defensive depth ready to go should he miss any time.
Game 5 is set for Sunday night. You can catch all the action on NESN, beginning with pregame at 6 p.m. ET.
