The Bruins sent a clear message to the rest of the NHL at the trade deadline when they acquired Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi.
Boston has been blessed with depth when it comes to building its lineup and often has healthy scratched strong players in the second half of the season. With injuries to Taylor Hall, Derek Forbort and Nick Foligno, the Bruins never missed a beat thanks to the trade deadline acquisitions and players like Jakub Lauko and Jakub Zboril in Providence.
Lauko has made the most of his extended time in the lineup, while Bertuzzi's presence on the ice never goes unnoticed with how well he sees the ice. It's clear as day just how strong the chemistry is with the Bruins by the way they stand up for one another, the post-win goalie hugs and the way they are constantly building one another up no matter who's in the lineup.
"We're very lucky with the depth we have and we're also very lucky that — it looks like Hall is going to be a real option for us," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after Wednesday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena. "And we're also hoping Foligno and Forbort are going to be. So that all of our -- knock on wood -- all of our options will be at our disposal come playoff time."
Hall practiced in a regular sweater for the first time Wednesday and skated with Bertuzzi and Charlie Coyle on the third line. Having that kind of third line in the Stanley Cup playoffs would be lethal for Boston and cause a lot of problems for opponents.
It's a good problem to have and the Bruins aren't taking it for granted.
Boston returns to action Thursday night when it welcomes the Toronto Maple Leafs to TD Garden for a game in which the Bruins might have to add more depth to their lineup with David Krejci being questionable. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.
