Bruins Daily: Marchand Speaks; Black Aces; Rangers Waiting

With a chance to tie their second-round series with the Florida Panthers in Game 6 at TD Garden on Friday night, the Boston Bruins called up their ‘Black Aces’ on Thursday.

The ‘Black Aces’ are the extra players from an NHL team’s AHL affiliate that are added to a team’s roster during the playoff run. These players are not part of the roster but are kept on standby, ready to step into the lineup if any of the regular players are unable to play.

Per the AHL transactions website on Friday, the Boston Bruins recalled nine players from their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Forwards Joey Abate, Trevor Kuntar, Marc McLaughlin, Georgii Merkulov, Anthony Richard, and Oskar Steen, as well as defensemen Michael Callahan and Ian Mitchell and goaltender Michael DiPietro were recalled from loan by the Bruins. These transactions came just two days after the Bruins recalled forwards Patrick Brown and Jayson Megna, as well as goaltender Brandon Bussi.

McLaughlin, Merkulov, Richard, Steen, Brown, Megna, and Mitchell have all played NHL games for the Bruins this season, with Brown drawing into the lineup for the Bruins’ 5-1 Game 1 win in this series against the Florida Panthers.

That and more in the latest Boston Hockey Now Bruins Daily:

That and more in the latest BHN Bruins Daily:

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now: Truer words regarding the violence and truth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs have never been spoken like they were from Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

Boston Hockey Now: Could Game 6 see Brad Marchand playing on a line with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic?

Boston Hockey Now: Over the last 72 hours, social media was abuzz with GIFs and memes of Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.

Boston Hockey Now: NESN Bruins color man Andy Brickley has a recipe for success and greatness for Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Boston Hockey Now: A Mark Messier prediction was fulfilled for Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.

Boston Hockey Now: Unfortunately, there’s no escaping the past for the Boston Bruins and captain Brad Marchand.

Boston Hockey Now: The calls finally went the Bruins’ way in Game 5; was that thanks to David Pastrnak?

Patriots Football Now: For the latest on the New England Patriots, check out our sister NFL site, Patriots Football Now!

Atlantic Division

Detroit Hockey Now: Could the San Jose Sharks make their next head coach former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill?

Buffalo Hockey Now: What was the season grade for Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson?

Montreal Hockey Now: What should the next steps be for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle?

Fansided: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs really be sticking with Brendan Shanahan?

NHL

NHL.com: Is they can pull off the miraculous comeback against the Flordia Panthers, the Bruins will play the New York Rangers.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Thursday brought two contract extensions for the New Jersey Devils.

Nashville Hockey Now: One team to watch out for on the 2024 NHL Free Agent market will be the Nashville Predators.

Chicago Hockey Now: Another lawsuit was filed against the embattled Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado Hockey Now: Let’s clarify this for those who haven’t seen the light yet: The best defenseman in the NHL right now is Colorado Avalanche and former UMass defenseman Cale Makar.

Vegas Hockey Now: It will be a challenging offseason for Vegas Hockey Now general manager Kelly McCrimmon.

San Jose Hockey Now: Will Boston College forward Will Smith return for another season or sign with the San Jose Sharks?

Calgary Hockey Now: Will Panthers center Sam Bennett’s playoff performance affect the next contract for Flames forward Martin Pospisil?

The Eye Test: Rest in peace, Darren Dutchyshen.