On their upcoming two-game road trip, the Boston Bruins will need to once again piece together their line combinations with several players out with injuries.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Monday that David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm and Linus Ullmark won't travel with the team for its matchups against the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jesper Froden, who suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday's win over the Penguins, also will stay behind.
It appears as though Pastrnak and Lindolm are nearing a return, though, and could be available as soon as this weekend. Pastrnak will have missed eight games by the time the Bruins return home Saturday to face the New York Rangers while Lindolm's been out since April 5 after sustaining a lower-body injury.
"They won't travel," Cassidy said, per Boston Hockey Now's Joe Haggerty. "That's the plan is that they should be ready that week before (the playoffs) and maybe even as early as this weekend. They're ruled out for Tuesday (and) Thursday but haven't been ruled out for Friday-Saturday. They've both played in the playoffs.
"Pasta has had a lot of playoff games over the years, and for Lindholm it's been a few years, but he's certainly played (in the playoffs). For them, it's getting their game back in order and their timing, etc."
For Ullmark, who has played excellent as of late before exiting Thursday's tilt against the Ottawa Senators after taking a shot to the facemask, there's also a need to get him some game reps before the netminder makes his NHL playoff debut.
"But for Linus, he's never played in the playoffs so for him there's going to be a lot of newness," Cassidy said, per Haggerty. "I think he's going to want to be 100% in his own mind, so we need to make sure he's in a good place with how much he plays before (the playoffs). To be quite honest with you, there's a lot of guys where there is going to be some newness for the playoffs."
The Bruins travel to take on the Blues at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
