The Boston Bruins will enter Nassau Coliseum shorthanded Wednesday night.
Defensemen Kevan Miller, Brandon Carlo and Curtis Lazar all are ruled out Game 6 against the New York Islanders, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed Tuesday.
Miller has been sidelined since Game 4 of Boston's first-round series with the Washington Capitals when he was sent to the hospital after taking a Dimitry Orlov hit to the chin.
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Carlo appeared to suffer a head injury in Game 3 against the Islanders when New York's Cal Clutterbuck hit him into the boards, while Lazar exited Monday's Game 5 in the second period with an apparent leg injury after an Adam Pelech hit.
Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask also didn't make it through Game 5, being pulled after two periods in favor of rookie Jeremy Swayman. It's unclear how much health played a factor in Rask's exit -- he stopped only 75% of Islanders shot attempts through two periods -- but Cassidy admitted after the 5-4 loss that his goaltender "wasn't 100%."
Cassidy said Rask was receiving treatment and reviewing film with Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essena on Tuesday, and that the team will learn Wednesday whether he's ready to play that night in Game 6.
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That's not a comforting update for Bruins fans entering a must-win Game 6 with the B's trailing 3-2 in the second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series. Cassidy may reinsert Jake DeBrusk onto the third line and move Sean Kuraly to fourth-line center in Lazar's absence, but Boston still will be thin on the blue line with two veteran defensemen out in Miller and Carlo.
Puck drop on Wednesday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.