The Boston Bruins have been riddled with injuries this season — especially on the blue line.

Hampus Lindholm has missed 33 games since sustaining a lower-body injury in Boston’s win over the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 12, and Charlie McAvoy has been sidelined for the last five games with a “lingering” upper-body injury.

In their absence, the Bruins called up Michael Callahan from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Providence coach Ryan Mougenel knew Callahan needed to develop in the AHL after he joined the team fresh from his collegiate career with the Providence Friars before he could get a shot at Boston.

“I’m not going to lie, when he came to us out of school, I would say he was a long way away from the NHL,” Mougenel told NESN.com. “… Michael is that guy that we spent a lot of time with that really put a lot of things into his game. We just saw constant growth.

Story continues below advertisement

“Part of the growth is who he is. He’s a hell of a kid that everybody roots for, like a Trent Frederic. … (Callahan’s) a constant root for. He’s a fantastic kid.”

Entering his third professional season with Providence, the 25-year-old made his NHL debut on Jan. 14 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and earned his second game against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, where he earned a little more ice time playing alongside veteran Brandon Carlo. Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco said he saw “predictability” from Callahan against the Senators.

    What do you think?  Leave a comment.

“I think that he played a very reliable, responsible game for us, which is what we were looking for,” Sacco told reporters after practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, per team-provided video. “Good reads, smart plays, good decisions with the puck. Just a really good, basic, stay-at-home kind of game. Protect the netfront. Things that he has been doing well in Providence, he was able to bring that up here (Thursday) night. I thought he had a good game for us.”

Callahan used what he learned in the AHL and notes from his debut in Boston to raise his gameplay against the Senators.

Story continues below advertisement

“I think just trusting my defensive instincts out there,” Callahan told reporters at Warrior. “Trusting my feet, my gaps, and playing against that next-level skill up from the AHL is a bit different. Just trusting my instincts and defending how I know I can.”

Not only did Callahan earn more ice time in his second game, Sacco used the Franklin, Mass. native for 3:01 on the penalty kill, which helped build his confidence.

“It helps a lot,” Callahan said. “It’s a role I’ve kind of been doing for a while in Providence. It’s something I take a lot of pride in, and I know I can go out there and do the job. So getting that time (Thursday), especially late in the game, it helps a lot.”

Callahan recorded one goal and five assists in 35 games with Providence before being called up to Boston.

Story continues below advertisement

Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images