Connect with us

Boston Bruins

Injured Bruins Open Up on Recovery Process as they Work Toward Return

Published

on

boston-bruins-mark-kastelic
Photo courtesy of the Boston Bruins/@NHLBruins on 𝕏

BRIGHTON, Mass. — The colors of the Boston Bruins are black and gold, but it was the color merlot that stood out during the team’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena on Wednesday.



Wearing non-contact jerseys, forward Mark Kastelic and defenseman Hampus Lindholm skated with their teammates for the first time since their respective injuries.

“It’s always nice to be out there with the guys,” Lindholm said. “Getting some laughter in and shooting on some goalies is always nice for a change.”

Lindholm has missed the last 28 games with a broken bone in his leg that he suffered by blocking a shot in mid-November. The Bruins have mostly been mired in mediocrity in Lindholm’s absence. Being unable to help was nearly as painful for him as the injury itself.

“You want to be out there helping the guys. It’s really tough, winning or losing,” said Lindholm. “We’re all a team in here, but especially when you feel like the guys maybe need an extra boost. It sucks when you can’t be out there.”

The Bruins especially struggled by losing seven of their first eight games coming out of the holiday break.

Kastelic, the team’s resident defibrillator, tried to break the frustration in the final seconds of what was Boston’s sixth straight loss last Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. All that did, though, was result in him getting hit in the face with a cross-check and landed him concussion protocol, forcing him to miss the last two games.

Read More: Trent Frederic Beats Bag Out Of Bolt, Stands Up For Fallen Bruins Teammate

“You’re never really expecting a cross-check to the face,” Kastelic said. “I know it’s the end of the game, but I’m an emotional player, and no matter how much time is left on the clock, I’m going to try to play right to the end, especially in a moment like that where we’re on a bit of a skid and just not happy about the way things are going.”

Back-to-back victories over division rivals Florida and Tampa Bay have since helped the Bruins restore their morale, and having Lindholm and Kastelic on the ice at practice only added to it.

Still, there isn’t a set date for either player’s return, nor is there one for Charlie McAvoy or Cole Koepke, as interim head coach Joe Sacco said that none of them will play when the team visits the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s just about not rushing anything and listening to my body, and I feel like I’ve done a good job at that so far,” said Kastelic. “I have a lot of support from the people around me. Since the moment it happened, they’ve been checking in on me a lot, telling me to take my time to get back as soon as possible.”

Whenever that moment comes, the Bruins will be closer to the best version of themselves and hope that Lindholm and Kastlic will be, too.

“Getting injured is a way of a good way of reflecting on your own game,” Lindholm said. “You try to find some way of being better for when you come back. Hopefully, you added something in. Being sidelined can have some benefits, and that’s how I try to approach it.”

FOLLOW ANDREW FANTUCCHIO ON 𝕏: @A_FANTUCCHIO

FOLLOW BOSTON HOCKEY NOW ON 𝕏 AND FACEBOOK

BHN in your Inbox

Enter your email address to get all of our posts sent directly to your inbox.

Bruins Team and Cap Info

Link to Boston Bruins PuckPedia page