Forbort Forced Out of Bruins/Penguins Game With Injury

PITTSBURGH – On Tuesday morning Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was lauding Derek Forbort as one of Boston’s most consistent performers right from the very beginning of training camp.

“Forbort has been unreal. Since the first day of camp he’s been probably our most consistent and best defensemen day in and day out,” said Montgomery.

Unfortunately, the stay-at-home defenseman was knocked out of Boston’s Tuesday night game vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena after blocking a shot during a first period penalty kill. It appeared that Forbort injured his right hand as he had his glove off and was flexing the hand after getting back to the bench, and he never went back out onto the ice for another shift.

The Boston Bruins announced early in the second period that Forbort wouldn’t be returning to the lineup with an upper body injury.

UPDATE: Derek Forbort (upper-body) will not return to tonight’s game.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 2, 2022

It’s a big blow to the Boston Bruins as Forbort was one of Boston’s best penalty killers early in the season and has been a steady, physical force as a shutdown guy while elevating his game with Charlie McAvoy out of the lineup.

Forbort is averaging 20:21 of ice time in the first nine games of the season and led the B’s with 16 blocked shots on the season headed into Tuesday night’s game. The Boston Bruins still have extra defensemen in Mike Reilly and Jakub Zboril if the Forbort injury turns out to be a serious one, but a significant Forbort injury would speed up the need for Charlie McAvoy to return as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery rehab.