Time Off: How This Could Affect the Bruins
It has certainly been quite a while since the Bruins last took the ice. Although the break has been unfortunate, and as Diehards we are ready to see the team lace-up again soon, it looks as is the team has, and will continue to receive an unplanned break.
During this crazy pandemic, the team have obviously been social distancing and some of them have been taking advantage of their time away from the rink. For instance, Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle have been making Cameo videos.
The guys have also been re-watching old games with fans and giving commentary about the nights of play on Zoom. The most talked about Zoom was the 2011 Game 7 where everyone who wore a Bruins sweater that year - currently on the team or not - all agreed to take time out of their schedules to watch a piece of history together. That is everyone but Nathan Horton.
Though it has been a boring couple of months, the break is honestly a good thing for some of the players, especially those that have been injured. Tuukka Rask and Jaro Halak deserve a break after the outstanding season they have had, carrying the Bruins to a secured 1st place in the league going into the playoffs.
Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug were both day-to-day before the season was postponed, so I am sure they have benefited from the rest.
Unfortunately, regardless of how long this break will be, Kevan Miller will not be rejoining the team. He has been dealing with his knee injury for a year now and has not played a game since the 81st game of the 2018-2019 season having multiple surgeries after his collision during that game. It is likely that he will never be seen in a Bruins sweater - or any sweater - again as he has had a number of nasty injuries in his career.
For those who probably wouldn't benefit from time off, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase were just traded to the Bruins at the deadline and have been working on a seamless transition, and time off will have gotten them out of the rhythm of playing every other day. Fortunately, both have a few seasons under their belt and it's likely they will work incredibly hard to get back in form.
David Pastrnak and Marchand will also suffer from the lack of ice time. They have both been strong competitors this season and consistent in scoring. It will be interesting to see whether or not they can jump back into things when they take the ice again - Marchand has shown consistency in doing this in the past, but Pastrnak has trailed-off towards the end of the year in previous seasons.
Overall, it isn't just the Bruins getting rest - it's the entire league. So, if there is going to be hockey in 2020, expect a fast-paced playoff with most teams being healthy in the post-season.