The Boston Bruins sensibly are handling Hampus Lindholm, David Pastrnak and Linus Ullmark with care.
Bruce Cassidy revealed the Bruins’ “initial” plans to manage each of the trio’s respective comebacks from injury. Pastrnak, Lindholm and Ullmark all are playing Saturday at TD Garden in Boston’s matchup with the New York Rangers, but none will feature Sunday in Montreal when the Bruins visit the Canadiens.
“They’re all in today,” Cassidy said Saturday a press conference prior to Bruins-Rangers, as seen in video Boston provided. “They felt good yesterday (Friday), so the plan was to put them into one of the games this weekend. They wouldn’t play back to back, which may be a bit premature but that’s the original messaging I got.”
Cassidy expects Pastrnak and Lindholm to remain in Boston after Saturday’s game, and Ullmark likely will revert to backup-goaltender duty. After that, it’s all systems go.
“Ullmark’s starting today, Sway (Jeremy Swayman) will go in tomorrow, and I doubt Lindholm and Pasternak will travel,” Cassidy continued. “That’s the initial plan, and hopefully they get through today’s game. They feel great. And then they’re back in Tuesday for good.”
The Bruins will play their final four regular-season games between Sunday and Friday. That doesn’t give Lindholm, Pastrnak and Ullmark much time to return to their pre-injury grooves, but the Bruins want and need each of them to near his respective best form in the first week of May when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
