Remember when Zdeno Chara left the Bruins’ loss in Colorado with a lower-body injury Wednesday and then was sent back to Boston on Thursday and you figured things couldn’t get any worse for the Bruins injury-wise?
Well, you might want to wake up Saturday and do whatever you do for good luck, but do it for Patrice Bergeron.
Although it was a positive sign the Bruins medical staff cleared Bergeron to return to the game, his limitations hinted at something that might be a hindrance moving forward, starting with the Bruins’ next game at Arizona on Saturday. Coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the game Bergeron would be re-evaluated in the morning.
Concern for Bergeron’s health, however, shouldn’t completely overshadow the defensive effort the Bruins put forward to earn a point on the road despite missing Chara and four other defensemen from their opening night lineup because of injuries.
First and foremost in that effort was goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made his first appearance in the Bruins crease since his ill-fate relief appearance against Vancouver Nov. 8 (three goals on 14 shots) and his four-day leave of absence.
Matt Grzelcyk and Jeremy Lauzon were penciled in as the Bruins’ new No. 1 defense pair and for the most part they played like it, especially on the penalty kill. Boston was 4-for-4 against Dallas’ power play, which was the seventh-best home power play entering the game. Grzelcyk and Lauzon logged 5:50 of penalty-kill ice time each and were instrumental in the perfect penalty-kill performance, which was more impressive considering the Bruins had to kill three penalties without Bergeron (injured) and Brad Marchand (in the box).
Cassidy had to jumble his forward lines throughout the night, but no combination was able to get a puck past Dallas goalie Ben Bishop. The Bruins were outshot 19-6 from the end of the second period on, including 6-0 in overtime.
The Bruins earned a well-deserved point in the standings under the circumstances. But now they have to hope that they’ll always look back at Friday’s game for the positives they achieved and not because it was the night Bergeron valiantly came back from injury but then was lost for an extended period after. We'll learn a little more Saturday.
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