Boston Bruins’ Matt Grzelcyk Poised For A Return

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins are rolling with four wins in a row and they’re beginning to get all the pieces of their lineup back as well.

Injured defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (upper body) is expected to return for the B’s when they travel to Buffalo to play the Sabres on Tuesday night at the First Niagara Center, and both Kevan Miller (undisclosed injury) and Jaroslav Halak (COVID Protocol) will be with the team on their five-game road trip through Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Miller may be able to return a little later in the week, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be an option for Tuesday night.

Grzelcyk has missed 18 of Boston’s 43 games played to this point in the regular season and has been out since April 10 but has still posted three goals and 13 points along with a plus-4 rating in 19:32 of ice time.

“Grzelcyk is skating this morning. Assuming there’s no setback with him he’s got a good chance to play as early as [Tuesday]. But that’s a decision we’ll make in the morning. Kevan Miller is better today and will accompany us on the trip. If things go well, we might see him later on in the week,” said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “Zboril had some sort of stomach flu, will skate [at Monday’s optional practice] and should be available [Tuesday night].

“Halak is still working his way through the COVID Protocol in terms of getting conditioning in and preparation, so he’ll be on the ice with the taxi squad [on Tuesday morning].”

Veteran defenseman Jarred Tinordi also appears to be okay aside from a banged-up nose after getting boarded by Garnet Hathaway in a nasty play that knocked him out of Sunday afternoon’s matinee win over the Capitals.

Meanwhile, Brandon Carlo (upper body) and Ondrej Kase (upper body) will remain behind in Boston as they continue to work their way back from injuries that have shelved them for considerable amounts of time.