Krug, Rask, Array Of Bruins Miss Practice, Join ‘Unfit To Play’ List

In addition to forwards David Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase still being ‘unfit to play’, the Boston Bruins were missing an array of regulars at practice Saturday. All were deemed ‘not injured’ by head coach Bruce Cassidy but joined Pastrnak and Kase on the dreaded ‘unfit to play’ list. Pastrnak also stressed that ‘unfit to play’ does not mean a player tested positive for COVID19. 

Forwards David Krejci, Sean Kuraly, Charlie Coyle, and Chris Wagner were all absent up front and Torey Krug wasn’t patrolling the blue line with Brandon Carlo, his regular partner. Goalie Tuukka Rask was also not present. It should be noted that after hurting his glove hand, leaving one practice early and missing another, Rask was sporting a splint on the middle and ring fingers of his glove hand in a Vezina Trophy Zoom call on Friday.

Pastrnak remains in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has COVID19 but testing negative. 

There was some good lineup news Saturday as Joakim Nordstrom came off the ‘unfit to play’ list and skated on a line with Par Lindholm and Zach Senyshyn. Other than the top line, wherfe Anders Bjork once again skated with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, the forward lines were a mish-mash of regulars and ‘Black Aces’. Rookie Jack Studnicka centered Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman on the second line and rookie Trent Frederic centered Anton Blidh and Paul Carey on the fourth line.

On defense, Jakub Zboril took Krug’s spot next to Carlo. 

Jaro Halak, Max Lagace, and Dan Vladar manned the pipes for the Bruins at Warrior Arena Saturday.

#NHLBruins practice lines:

Marchand – Bergeron – Bjork
DeBrusk – Studnicka – Kuhlman
Nordstrom – Lindholm – Senyshyn
Blidh – Frederic – Carey

Chara – McAvoy
Zboril – Carlo
Grzelcyk – Lauzon
Moore – Clifton
Vaakanainen

Halak
Vladar
Lagace pic.twitter.com/lMHUQNxOCI

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 18, 2020