Boston Bruins Pastrnak, Lindholm ‘Feeling Better’, Return Imminent

PITTSBURGH – The time when the Boston Bruins get their full lineup back may be close at hand.

David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm are “feeling better” in the estimation of Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy as they skate on their own back in Boston and are trending toward a return on Sunday in Montreal or on Tuesday at home against the Florida Panthers.

That’s good news for a team that’s scored just 16 goals in seven games since David Pastrnak went out after an awkward tumble on an offensive zone face-off in Columbus and has gone 0-for-27 on the power play without No. 88’s one-timer threat with his right shot.

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

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) April 5, 2022

“Pasta is getting closer, but in the meantime, we want that line to produce,” said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy after Thursday’s morning skate in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena. “Linus is doing much better. Both guys are feeling better and both guys possibly could be in the lineup on Sunday, or Tuesday that we’re looking at. It’s not going to be Saturday [against the New York Rangers]. That’s the timeline that I was given.

“I think they both need [reps before the playoffs]. It’s a tough time of year to be out for stretching on three weeks now. They’re both good hockey players and hopefully will pick it up quicker than a guy that might have been out longer, but I still think it helps to play personally.”

For Pastrnak, he will have missed nine games if he returns on Sunday and Lindholm will have been out eight after playing just a handful of games after arriving at the NHL trade deadline deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

Linus Ullmark is also expected to get one of the starts in the weekend back-to-back games against the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens as well after missing this week with an upper body injury. Jesper Froden has not resumed skating for the Boston Bruins back in Boston, so he remains the lone injury holdout without a projected return date as the Bruins finish out the final handful of regular season games ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Here’s the projected lineup that Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed will be the same as Tuesday’s road win over the St. Louis Blues:

Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk

Hall-Haula-Lazar

Frederic-Coyle-Smith

Foligno-Nosek-McLaughlin

Grzelcyk-McAvoy

Reilly-Carlo

Forbort-Clifton

Swayman