The Bruins had quite the night in Long Island on Thursday.
Boston ultimately took a 2-1 series lead against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in overtime, but it did come with a loss.
Brandon Carlo went to retrieve a puck at the end boards when Cal Clutterbuck delivered a clean hit that sent Carlo’s head into the glass. The B’s defenseman fell to the ice and struggled to get back on his feet before he made his way to the locker room. He wouldn’t return for the remainder of Game 3, but head coach Bruce Cassidy did say Carlo was “feeling pretty good” when the two talked postgame.
While it certainly was reassuring knowing Carlo was well enough to hang around to talk to his teammates, it’s still a concern given his concussion history — his most recent coming in March by way of a Tom Wilson hit.
Tuukka Rask, who stopped 28 shots on the night, said he could have played the puck. But because it was going slow, he decided to let Carlo take it.
“It’s tough to see him go down again,” Rask said over Zoom after the game. “I felt bad. It was one of those 50-50 pucks. I possibly could have gone there and played it. It was going so slow that I decided not to and then he gets hurt. It’s tough to see. He’s a very valuable D-man for us.”
It’s clear how important Carlo is to this Bruins team, not just because the blue line already is a bit banged up, but also because of what he brings to the locker room each and every game.
Carlo has drawn high praise from his teammates over the course of the season, so it’s no surprise the Bruins rallied after the hit to win in overtime. And while no one said, “the message was to win the game for Carlo,” it’s evident his leadership and value, despite being just 24 years old, is crucial.
Should Carlo be unable to go, which Cassidy would not rule him as of Thursday night, Jarred Tinordi, Jakub Zboril (if healthy) or Urho Vaakanainen could slot into the lineup.
The Bruins do get an extra day of rest before Game 4 on Saturday night, so that could benefit Carlo, as well. Still, given his history with concussions, it’s probably fair to assume the Bruins will be extra cautious with him.
