Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston notes that there is some slight concern about the status of forward Brad Marchand after he left Thursday’s exhibition game for the Boston Bruins with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. Haggerty writes:
Marchand was on a penalty kill shift when he appeared to suffer some kind of lower-body injury and then immediately headed back to the Bruins dressing room once he was able to get off the ice. It was unclear whether it was related to an awkward tumble he took while putting a hit on Zach Werenski in the corner, or if it was a lower-body pulled muscle while quickly trying to change directions during the penalty kill.
Haggerty adds that the injury is not expected to be serious, but Sports Insights Twitter page has Marchand listed as questionable Sunday vs. Philadelphia.
“He left ,” said Bruce Cassidy. “I don’t think it’s anything serious, but we’ll have a better idea obviously in the morning.”
Should the Bruins be without Marchand for any long period of time, that could be disastrous for a team many consider to be the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
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The Idea of Taking it Easy During Round Robin Play
There is some debate about whether or not top teams should be playing their best players in the upcoming round-robin games. Unlike the play-in teams, clubs like the Boston Bruins can’t lose a spot in the year’s playoffs, only drop in the seeding. Therefore, playing the best stars in each game might not be wisest move, especially if there’s a chance someone like Marchand is now nursing an injury.
Bruins’ President Cam Neely addressed that idea during an interview with NESN and noted that the players want to play, but the Bruins will have to find the delicate balance between using of players and giving the team their best chance to win and avoiding injury.
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