BBN: Brad Marchand Confirms More Injury Update, Former Bruins Blueliner Retires, Veteran Signs PTO With Providence
The Boston Bruins began their early-season three-game road trip with a 5-3 victory over the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. With the win, the Bruins improved to 3-2-0, while the Avalanche’s surprising slump continued as they fell to 0-4-0. Fortunately for Boston, they seem to have avoided any major injuries in the game, and that’s where we’ll start this edition of *Boston Bruins News*.
Brad Marchand appears to have avoided a major injury
Bruins fans were on edge when captain Brad Marchand collided with Mikko Rantanen in the second period and left the game. He sat out the remainder of the period and part of the third but made his way back to the bench and finished the game.
“Brad’s fine,” assured Boston coach Jim Montgomery, after Marchand’s brief exit. “Just a spasm.”
So far this season, Marchand has recorded three assists, following multiple offseason surgeries. While losing him would be a significant blow to Montgomery’s lineup, it appears he avoided any major injury this time. Given his importance to the team, it’s expected that Marchand will take several more “maintenance days” throughout the season to manage his recovery and stay in peak condition.
Joonas Korpisalo picks up first win as a Bruin
It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but a win is still a win. Bruins fans got a glimpse of the frustration Ottawa Senators fans experienced last season when Joonas Korpisalo, part of the Linus Ullmark trade, struggled in net. Korpisalo had one of the worst statistical seasons in the league, and he allowed six goals in Boston’s season-opening 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers.
After Jeremy Swayman started the next three games, coach Jim Montgomery kept his decision quiet leading up to the matchup with Colorado. Unsurprisingly, Korpisalo was given the nod for his second start. He made 20 saves and allowed three power-play goals, but this game could serve as a confidence booster for him moving forward.
Former Bruins defenseman retires
One player you might have forgotten from the Bruins’ record-breaking 2022-23 season for wins and points is defenseman Anton Strålman. He appeared in just eight games, finishing without a point, a minus-3 rating, and averaging 15:22 of ice time per game.
Strålman has reportedly retired from professional hockey and is now coaching Skultorps IF, a Swedish women’s soccer team. Last season, he played in 48 Swedish Hockey League (SHL) games for HV71, contributing two goals and 14 assists.
NHL Veteran Sign PTO with Providence
Veteran NHL forward Tyler Pitlick received an invitation to attend training camp with the Providence Bruins and signed a PTO (professional tryout) to stay with the P-Bruins on Thursday. Last season, Pitlick recorded one goal and three assists in 34 games with the New York Rangers. While this move could simply be a depth addition, it will be interesting to see if it develops into something more significant for the Bruins down the line.