Boston Bruins
Bruins F Ondrej Kase Refuses to Comment on Absence
Boston Bruins forward Ondrej Kase finally addressed the absence media Saturday but when asked about skating with the main group of Bruins just once in training camp, Kase did not get into details.
“I refuse to get into specifics about the whole process,” Kase said. “I can’t say too much about everything.”
Kase practiced with the extras Saturday after missing almost three weeks of skating in Boston at the Bruins practice facility. While Kase practiced with the secondary group in Toronto, but he will not be able to play Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The winger’s availability for Wednesday’sgame against the Tampa Bay Lightning is to be determined, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Kase says he believes that he can help the Bruins should he return on Wednesday.
“I worked pretty hard before I got here,” Kase assured. “I think I can be [back] quick.”
Another player who has had limited skating with the Bruins is forward Nick Ritchie. Unlike Kase, however, Ritchie flew to Toronto with the team. After sustaining an undisclosed injury that left him out of the majority of training camp, Ritchie returned to skating on Thursday, but will not lace up for Sunday.
“I’ve got to skate the last couple days and I’m starting to feel good out there,” Ritchie commented. “The games are coming and it’s an exciting time.”
However, Ritchie could be back in the lineup Wednesday, and Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy knows that decision and Kase’s will have to be determined ASAP, so the team can maintain some consistency in the lineup as the round-robin and then the playoffs take off.
“We’ll make a decision on Wednesday as we get closer to that game,” Cassidy said. “See how they do with us [in] Monday’s and Tuesday’s practices. “We’re going to have to learn that quickly and on the fly, so there’ll be some juggling in that regard probably right into the first round of the playoffs, and hopefully beyond. Boston That would be the biggest thing we’re going to have to look at, how to best use our personnel … I think it’s a bit of a continuation of where we were at in March.”