Grzelcyk, Pastrnak & Lindholm Out For Boston Bruins Vs. Blues

BRIGHTON, MA – The Boston Bruins suddenly banged defensemen corps will continue on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues in Torey Krug’s return to the TD Garden for the first time since leaving in free agency a couple of years ago.

Matt Grzelcyk (upper body) was missing from Tuesday’s morning skate and will be out against the St. Louis Blues after exiting Sunday afternoon’s loss to the Capitals in Washington, and both David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm (lower body) still have not returned to skating with the team. So they will be out for Tuesday night as well while progressing a little slower from injury than Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy had initially anticipated.

“Not a whole lot new. I guess they’re dragging on a little longer than I thought from the initial diagnosis,” said Cassidy. “I still don’t believe it will be long, long term, but I thought both would be a little further along by this time.”

Pastrnak was injured during an awkward fall immediately after a faceoff more than a week ago in Columbus, and Lindholm was knocked out of the lineup a week ago in a Tuesday night loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

David Pastrnak was not feeling great after this play. pic.twitter.com/ubMgvAxvjG

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) April 5, 2022

The concern with Grzelcyk is that he’s endured a number of seemingly similar upper body injuries over the course of this season, and that it’s going to be nagging problem for the 5-foot-9, 170-pound defenseman over the rest of this season’s run.

Cassidy confirmed that Connor Clifton will be in the lineup replacing Grzelcyk on Tuesday night, and that Jack Ahcan was up with the Bruins as a possible puck-moving replacement for Grzelcyk if push came to shove.

Here’s the projected Boston Bruins lineup vs. the St. Louis Blues based on Tuesday’s morning skate at Warrior ice Arena:

Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk

Hall-Haula-McLaughlin

Frederic-Coyle-Smith

Foligno-Nosek-Lazar

Forbort-McAvoy

Reilly-Carlo

Clifton-Brown

Swayman