Krejci Out Again vs Penguins Sunday

The Boston Bruins will be without center David Krejci again Sunday afternoon when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second straight game. Krejci missed the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the Penguins in Boston Thursday night with an upper-body injury and did not make the trip to Pittsburgh. Krejci’s status for the Bruins’ final game before the nine-day All-Star break and bye week remains up in the air.

“He’s not traveling. He didn’t skate today so he doesn’t have a chance to play [on Sunday],” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Krejci missed another practice Saturday. “We’ll look at Tuesday if he’ll skate on Monday, but then it becomes an issue of are you better off just getting a whole break in there. If he can come in and skate [on Monday] then that would be a good measure for [his readiness for] Tuesday.”

Krejci has 11 goals and 32 points in 41 games this season. He has missed nine games thanks to a variety of injuries. The 35-year-old veteran scored two goals in the 6-5 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday but pointless in his last game, a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Charlie Coyle was once again centering Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork on the second line at practice Saturday and should slot in there against the Pens Sunday afternoon. With Coyle moving up a line, Par Lindholm was once again between Danton Heinen and Karson Kuhlman. The top line and the energy line remained the same. 

On defense, Cassidy had the pairings he used against the Penguins on Thursday night. Steven Kampfer remained the extra defenseman and Connor Clifton is still on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk – Charlie Coyle – Anders Bjork
Danton Heinen – Par Lindholm – Karson Kuhlman
Joakim Nordstrom – Sean Kuraly – Chris Wagner

Zdeno Chara – Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug – Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk – John Moore

Jaroslav Halak