Bruins Injury Update: Ullmark To Play This Weekend; Pastrnak, Lindholm?

Could Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark return this weekend? What about Bruins star winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm?

After a dramatic and important 3-2 overtime win over the Blues in St. Louis Tuesday night, the Boston Bruins practiced at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon ahead of their rematch with the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday night. Following practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy gave the latest updates on his injured trio.

“All skated today in Boston so closer for the weekend? I haven’t heard whether they’ll be in or out,” Cassidy said. “I believe Ullmark will definitely play this weekend if he has no setbacks. He’s looking good; the closest to getting back in. So that’s good with the back-to-back, obviously [Troy] Grosenick’s here – we’ll use him if need be – but it’s a little easier to have Linus back in that regard.”

The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers on Saturday and head north to Quebec for their final game against the Montreal Canadiens this season, on Sunday night.

Linus Ullmark hasn’t dressed for a game since leaving after the first period of a 3-2 Boston Bruins loss to the Ottawa Senators last Thursday with an upper-body injury. The first-year Bruin is 23-10-2 with a 2.57 GAA and .912 save percentage.

As for Pastrnak and Lindholm?

“We’re still waiting on,” Cassidy said of his injured superstar winger and top pairing defenseman. “Both skating full sessions with Kim [Brandvold] back home but we’re waiting until they’re cleared to play or not. Saturday is still up in the air.”

Pastrnak will have missed nine games by this weekend with an injury that’s believed to be from an awkward fall he took on a faceoff in the 3-2 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 4. Lindholm will have been out eight games after a lower body injury forced him out of a 5-3 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings the following night.

Cassidy did seem confident that Lindholm will be ready for the Stanley Cup Playoffs which are set to begin on May 2. He’s also, as fo now, comfortable with the health status of the rest of the Boston Bruins blue line.

“We believe Lindholm will be ready whether it’s this weekend or next,” Cassidy said. “So he should be healthy going into the playoffs. The other guys here are healthy on the backend so we’ll try to keep them that way. I mean, ‘Grzz’ [Matt Grzelcyk] has been in and out a little bit, we know that, but the other guys right now are in good shape. So again, you knock on wood and hope it stays that way and they’re able to hold up to those battles.”

Pastrnak has 38 goals and 33 assists in 69 games this season while Hampus Lindholm has four assists in seven games with the Bruins since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks just prior to the March 21 NHL Trade Deadline. He has five goals and 17 assists in 61 games with the Ducks prior to the trade.