Bruins Camp Journal: ‘The Band’s Back Together’

The Boston Bruins welcomed newly signed defenseman Brandon Carlo back into the fold on the ice Wednesday at training camp. They also were given a healthier Patrice Bergeron as the veteran center – who’s battling a nagging groin injury – was wearing a white contact jersey, instead of the maroon no-contact jersey, he wore in his first skate with teammates Monday.

With most of their expected and normal lineup healthy and signed now, can anyone else crack the roster, specifically on the blue line, still have a shot at a roster spot? What about defenseman Alex Petrovic who is in camp on a professional tryout?

That and in more in your Bruins Camp Journal from Wednesday!

‘The Band’s Back Together’

“Yeah, the band’s back together,” Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said to start his daily press briefing after training camp Wednesday.

Yes they were, and while two rookies in forward Zach Senyshyn and defenseman Axel Andresson missed practice and won’t play at Philadelphia in the Bruins second preseason game Wednesday, Cassidy was excited to see some familiar faces back on the ice Wednesday

“Good for Brandon [Carlo] to get his deal done. Nice to have him back; good player for us and we’ve known that all along. Charlie [McAvoy] looked better today, another day on the ice. Pretty much everybody is getting back to healthy, ‘Bergy’ [Bergeron] was in a normal jersey and ‘Nordy’ [Joakim Nordstrom].

Obviously, we have a couple of defensemen (Kevan Miller and John Moore) there that are still a bit away, but for the rest of the group that’s here, Andersson and Senyshyn got hurt, a couple minor bumps and bruises, we’ll see how that affects them, they won’t play tomorrow for sure, but maybe get them back in the mix soon.”

How Do Blue Line Hopefuls Stay Motivated?

Even with Miller and Moore still injured and likely missing from the roster for at least the first month of the regular season, there isn’t much room for a defenseman hoping to crack the NHL roster in Boston. So how do younger players like Jeremy Lauzon, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and even the PTO Petrovic stay motivated in camp?

“We’ve talked to those young guys about that,” Cassidy said. “I think last year, you hope they’ve paid attention and realize that we used a lot of different players. I don’t know if anybody thought that Connor Clifton would be the guy in the Stanley Cup Final. I think that should be enough of a motivating factor. You might not be there October 3 (season opener at Dallas), but even when you go down there, your job – I spent a lot of time down there, speaking of your first call-up – that should be your goal once you’re down there.”

Cassidy used the 6’2, 196-pound Lauzon as an example of a player who if he stays motivated and plays to his strengths, could still find a niche on the Boston roster.

“Now without some bigger guys – we’ll see how Miller goes here with his medical clearance and Johnny Moore has some size – can defend,” Cassidy said. “Now there is some opportunity with [Steven] Kampfer and Clifton, speaking of size if you wanted a bigger body, maybe that’s where Lauzon would have to say ‘you know what, maybe that’s me, playing on my off side, if ‘Gryz’ moves over, maybe I can give them value there on the penalty kill’, so in games, that’s where he has to stand out I think, in his own mind. Play to your strengths, be a big body and maybe that pushes you up the ladder.”

Here’s a look at the Group A and Group B rosters from Wednesday:

Group A

Blidh/Koppanen-Kuraly-Backes

DeBrusk-Studnicka-Kuhlman

Cehlarik-Gaunce-Lantosi

Lauko-Shen/Asselin-Fitzgerald

Lauzon-Clifton

Zech-Didier

Vaakanainen/Sherman-Petrovic

Halak

Lagace

Group B

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Carey-Krejci-Ritchie

Bjork-Coyle-Heinen

Nordstrom-Lindholm-Wagner

Frederic-Steen

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Grzelcyk-Zboril

Breen-Kampfer

Rask

Keyser