The Bruins will be without two crucial starters for a more extended period than initially anticipated, as the team decided to place Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha on injured reserve on Thursday. To address the absences, Boston recalled forward Patrick Brown and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon from Providence, with the latter joining on an emergency basis.
When a player is put on IR, they are mandated to miss a minimum of seven days, a duration already surpassed by McAvoy. As for Zacha, his absence is confirmed at least until Saturday. McAvoy sustained his injury last week during Boston’s defeat to the Buffalo Sabres, colliding with JJ Peterka and appearing to take an elbow to the head. Despite playing for 15:33 before the injury, McAvoy did not suffer a concussion. Coach Jim Montgomery noted significant improvement in the top-pairing defenseman’s condition, and though McAvoy was initially a potential participant in Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, he was officially ruled out on Tuesday. McAvoy had been engaging in skating sessions ahead of Bruins practice this week at Warrior Ice Arena.
Zacha, who played 6:42 in the Bruins’ victory over the Arizona Coyotes but missed the final two periods due to an upper-body injury, was also considered a possibility for Wednesday’s game in New Jersey. However, he was ultimately ruled out after not practicing during the week, and the extent of Zacha’s injury remains unclear.
In response to the setbacks, Patrick Brown, who has participated in six games for the Bruins this season without registering a point, and Parker Wotherspoon, with one point in three games for Boston, have been brought into the lineup.
The injuries to McAvoy and Zacha pose challenges, especially considering Derek Forbort’s extended absence on long-term injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury.
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