Thursday night's 4-0 win over the New York Rangers was an impactful one for the Boston Bruins.
For starters, it was encouraging to see second-line winger Jake DeBrusk break out of his slump and score a goal in his first game back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch Tuesday.
Second-line center David Krejci scored his first goal of the season. Special teams (particularly the penalty kill) continued to impress, and backup goalie Jaroslav Halak earned the 52nd shutout of his career.
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Boston is a banged up team.
NHL trade deadline targets: 10 players Bruins should pursue to upgrade roster
Defensemen Kevan Miller (knee soreness) and Jeremy Lauzon (fractured hand) are out of the lineup. Veteran winger Ondrej Kase (upper body) is out of action, too. He hasn't played since the second game of the season. Starting goalie Tuukka Rask played in Sunday's loss to the New Jersey Devils and has missed the last two games.
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy issued several injury updates Friday, including the statuses of first-line winger Brad Marchand, fourth-line forward Zach Senyshyn and Rask.
Senyshyn made his season debut Thursday night and played well, impacting the game with his speed and physicality. He hasn't been able to carve out a consistent role at the NHL level since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. This stretch was a good opportunity for Senyshyn to prove his worth, but now he has an injury to overcome. It's a tough break for him.
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Marchand's issue could be problematic if it forces him to miss games. The veteran forward tallied three assists in Thursday's victory and leads the Bruins in points (31) and assists (19). His 12 goals are tied with David Pastrnak for the team lead.
The Bruins' primary concern entering the April 12 trade deadline is secondary scoring. This team has relied way too much on the top line. If Marchand misses any games, it could be tough for the Bruins to replace his scoring.
The Rask situation also is one to keep a close eye on. The Bruins need him to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the meantime, Halak will make another start against the Rangers in Boston on Saturday afternoon.
