BOSTON – The Bruins got some good news and bad news in the injury department on Tuesday morning.
Dennis Seidenberg isn’t going to play against the Carolina Hurricanes after leaving Monday’s practice early while fighting through a lower body injury, but Kevan Miller will be back in after appearing to suffer a leg injury in the first period of Friday night’s win over the St. Louis Blues.
Miller said he was “good to go” following Tuesday’s optional morning skate at TD Garden, and will be welcomed presence as a tough, experienced defensive warrior that was missing for pretty much all of the 11 goals scored against Boston in their last two games.
“It was kind of a weird play and a scary hit, so that happened. But I’m glad to be back,” said Miller. “Obviously you want to be out there with your guys. It was tough to watch [in Chicago]. I’m excited to get back in there.”
Claude Julien said it’s Miller’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense mindset as much as his production on the ice that is missing when he’s sitting up in the press box during games.
“I think a lot of it with him is his personality. He’s such a determined individual, you know? He’s just worked his way into the NHL," said Julien of Miller, who surprisingly is second among B’s defensemen with his five goals scored this season. "He was not a superstar in the American League in Providence; he was a steady defenseman. But we all know that we can use those kinds of guys here just as much as we can use guys that are, I guess, electrifying in that league. So he’s come in here, he’s worked hard – believe it or not he’s probably one of the guys that produces some decent offense in the offensive zone from, you know, pinching and coming in there and making plays to his shots and all that kind of stuff.
“He’s actually been a real, I’m not going to say a surprise, but a pleasant addition for us where he’s given us probably even more than we expected from him. But you know it doesn't matter, you can’t hold that guy down. He was extremely disappointed that he was injured in St. Louis, and he’s worked really hard to try and make it back. That’s the kind of player you have right there. So I think his commitment, his personality, his approach … I would definitely put him in the old-time players kind of category. You can’t hold him down.”
Boston Bruins
It’s all hands on deck for the Bruins with three games to go, and they’ll be glad to welcome the tough-minded Miller back into the fold on Tuesday night in a must-win against the Hurricanes.