DeBrusk Leaves Game After Second Period, Does Not Return

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk was forced to leave the Bruins’ 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals after the second period.

Just 3:30 into the middle frame, DeBrusk was digging for the puck in the corner to the left of Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper. Capitals defenseman Erik Gustafsson pushed DeBrusk from behind and the Boston Bruins winger fell awkwardly into the boards.

Well Jake DeBrusk is hurt pic.twitter.com/FLPrp45Gb0

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 13, 2022

DeBrusk got up gingerly and favoring his right arm as he made his way to the Boston Bruins bench. After DeBrusk was attended to by a Bruins trainer, he would try to tough it out and played three more shifts before spending the rest of the period on the bench. He did not come out for the third period and finished the game with no points but had three shots, two hits and one blocked shot in 11:06 TOI and 15 shifts. The Bruins announced he was out for the game late in the third period citing an upper-body injury.

UPDATE: Jake DeBrusk (upper-body) will not return to tonight's game.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 13, 2022

Jake DeBrusk, as he has been throughout most of training camp and the preseason, was riding shotgun on the top line with Patrice Bergeron. With the preseason chemistry and success of the second line trio of Pavel Zacha-David Krejci-David Pastrnak, new Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery had winger Taylor Hall riding on the left flank with Bergeron and DeBrusk. With DeBrusk out, Montgomery moved Coyle up with Bergeron and Hall as he just couldn’t break up the Czech line of Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak who combined for two goals and six assists in the Bruins season-opening win.

DeBrusk was focused on a fresh start after a tumultuous 2021-22 season that saw him request a trade in November, 2021. However, after just seven goals and ten assists in his first 42 games, DeBrusk finished with 18 goals and seven assists in his final 42 games of the season. Even as DeBrusk’s game picked up in February and into the March 21 NHL Trade Deadline, the feeling was that the 25-year-old winger would still be traded. Instead, the Bruins shocked the NHL world on deadline day and signed DeBrusk to a two-year, $8 million contract extension. Debrusk finished the season with his second 25-goal campaign (he scored 27 in 2018-19) of his career and second 42-point campaign (2018-19 being the other), of his career. He then added two goals and two assists in seven playoff games.