Bruins
Milan Lucic has already missed two games after taking a puck off his skate on Saturday against the Kings.
The Bruins’ fourth line is going to look a little different over the next few weeks.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of Boston’s home matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery announced that both Milan Lucic and Jakub Lauko are going to be on the shelf due to injury.
Lucic, who has already missed the last two games after a shot from Derek Forbort struck him on the skate during Boston’s road win over the Kings on Saturday, will be out for “a couple weeks,” according to Montgomery.
The 35-year-old veteran, who recorded two assists in Boston’s first four games of the 2023-24 season, attempted to take part in the team’s morning skates on both Sunday in Anaheim and Tuesday in Chicago before making his way off the ice. Montgomery acknowledged earlier this week that Lucic likely needed more testing, with the physical winger not spotted on the ice Thursday morning.
Lauko managed to avoid disaster during Boston’s win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. While Lauko was trying to get back on his skates after falling over during a battle along the boards in the third period, Chicago forward Jason Dickinson’s skate sliced him close to his left eye — immediately drawing blood.
Despite the proximity to his eye, Montgomery noted postgame that Lauko’s eyesight was not impacted and he only needed stitches to close up the wound.
But on Thursday, Montgomery added that Lauko suffered a “fracture” on the play and will be ruled out “at least a week.”
With both Lucic and Lauko on the mend, it’s to be expected that Patrick Brown will remain in the lineup on Boston’s checking unit alongside Johnny Beecher. It remains to be seen who will slot over into the other vacant spot on that forward grouping.
During Thursday’s morning skate, Danton Heinen skated with Beecher and Brown. But the forward has still not signed a contract with the Bruins as of Thursday afternoon and will need to put pen to paper on a contract if he wants to play on Thursday.
Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald noted on Thursday morning that forward Jesper Boqvist was at Warrior Ice Arena on Thursday morning and skated before the Bruins took the ice.
Whether it be signing Heinen or calling up Boqvist from Providence, the Bruins will need to make another roster move before puck drop on Thursday in order to field a full 12-man forward grouping.
Here are the Bruins’ lines from Thursday’s morning skate:
Marchand-Zacha-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Poitras-Geekie
van Riemsdyk-Coyle-Frederic
Heinen-Beecher-Brown
Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Shattenkirk
Ullmark
Swayman
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