Bruins keep it together with top players out

CHICAGO -- When Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand was a late scratch Sunday with an upper-body injury sustained against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, coach Bruce Cassidy scrambled to make new combinations with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

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Asked about putting together his forward groupings, Cassidy said, "What were they?"
It was a last-minute version of what the Bruins have been dealing with for several weeks, losing top players and trying to find the right combinations, the right healthy players to make up for those sidelined. Though the Bruins lost 3-1 to the Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday, they've found success more often than not in the wake of the injuries.
"We have good depth and the guys who come in and step in for us, we'll always believe in them and they'll always play great," goaltender Anton Khudobin said. "No matter who's playing, we'll stick up for each other and play as one core. That's why it's been successful."

Boston (43-16-8), which had won its previous six games, is second in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning (48-17-4) and seven points ahead of the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs (40-22-7). It has two games in hand on each. The recent winning streak gave the Bruins a bit of a cushion, but they say they're not getting complacent.
"Obviously we know where we're at," forward David Krejci said. "We're sitting comfortable but we're chasing Tampa. We're never satisfied here. We're thinking game by game. Tampa keeps winning. That's what we have to do, too."
They've kept winning despite personnel losses. Center Patrice Bergeron (fractured right foot) missed his seventh game Sunday. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who sprained the MCL in his left knee March 3, is out at least another three weeks. Forward David Backes has been suspended the past three games for interfering with Detroit Red Wings forward Frans Nielsen on Tuesday.
The biggest issue for the Bruins is face-offs, where they miss Bergeron and his 56.9 face-off percentage. Boston won 39 percent of its face-offs Sunday; Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane scored the game-winning, power-play goal off a Chicago face-off win.
But the Bruins have produced, scoring 31 goals in their past seven games. Players have taken stepped up or taken on a different role. Riley Nash has moved from the third line to the top line. Forward Brian Gionta, a 39-year-old who signed Feb. 25, has six points (two goals, four assists) in six games. Marchand had 11 points (five goals, six assists) in a five-game point streak before missing the game Sunday.

"We still have enough power up front and on the back to put the puck in the net," Krejci said. "We've been playing some good hockey, even though some good players are injured. Hopefully they'll get back soon and we can play healthy and prepare for the playoffs."
Defenseman Zdeno Chara, 40, continues to have a strong season, scoring his seventh goal Sunday. Chara's minutes (23:07 per game, a Bruins high) haven't changed much in McAvoy's absence, but his game has been reliable and steady at a time Boston needs him.
"March hockey, April hockey, it's not easy," Krejci said. "You're 60, 70 games in, it's a grind. But that's why we need leaders like [Chara], to keep guys in check, to make sure you're taking care of your body off the ice. He's a good example of that. Guys look up to him. He's leading the way and we're just following."
Backes is expected to play at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, SNE, SNO, FS-CR, NESN, NHL.TV). Marchand's status for Tuesday is uncertain. Bergeron and McAvoy aren't ready yet. It's been a trying time healthwise for the Bruins, but the strong results are still there.
"No matter who is in the lineup or not in the lineup, we're trying to play to our standards and keep pushing ourselves to a certain level," Chara said. "I mean, we can't be complaining or making excuses that we're missing some guys. Everybody does at some point of the season. So, we just try to battle and play as hard as we can."