The Boston Bruins have proven themselves adept at dealing with unforeseen circumstances, but fresh twists will test their skill more intensely.
ESPN’s Kristen Shilton on Wednesday named “stayin’ alive” as the superpower the Bruins have demonstrated in 2021-22. The Bruins withstood head coach Bruce Cassidy’s bout with COVID-19 earlier this month, but they now must cope with the absences of six players, who currently are in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
“Boston stepped into the playoff picture for the first time this season last week by doing what it does best: no matter what, keep moving forward,” Shelton wrote. “The Bruins didn’t have coach Bruce Cassidy behind the bench due to COVID-19, Jake DeBrusk’s trade request is distracting, trusted forwards have sputtered and the team’s goaltending has been shaky at times. And yet, Boston continues to find a way through it all.”
The Bruins undoubtedly will shuffle their lines and pairings amid the outbreak, relying on call-ups from Providence to fill the gaps in their squad.
Nevertheless, missing their coach is one thing, but the absences of stalwarts like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and others pose problems of a larger scale.
Starting with Thursday night’s matchup with the New York Islanders, which you can watch on NESN, the Bruins will be shorthanded in most, if not all, of the seven games they’ll play before the end of the calendar year.
If ever there was a time for that superpower to lift Boston even higher, now is it.
