Bergeron off skates again
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
For the second straight year, the Bruins might open the NHL season without center Patrice Bergeron.
Bergeron, who missed the first three games last year because of an ankle injury, did not practice yesterday at the Garden after he left a workout early Tuesday because of a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old didn’t practice at all Monday and is considered day-to-day.
Coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t reject the notion Bergeron could be questionable to play in the season opener tonight at the Garden against the Nashville Predators.
“Well there is (a question) simply because he didn’t skate today,” Cassidy said. “Tomorrow I can’t predict how he’ll be. We hope it’s just a minor setback, but, yes, there is concern simply because he didn’t skate today.”
David Backes filled in admirably on the first line last season for Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. But Backes also missed practice yesterday because he was “under the weather” so his status for tonight won’t be known until the morning skate.
Ryan Spooner centered Marchand and rookie Anders Bjork during drills.
Step up at blue line
Defenseman Torey Krug, out since the second game of the preseason because of a fractured jaw, continued to practice in a red nocontact jersey. The Bruins placed him on injured reserve Tuesday.
Charlestown native Matt Grzelcyk will most likely fill Krug’s spot, skating 5-on-5 next to Adam McQuaid and quarterbacking the second power-play unit.
Orchestrating a power play with four forwards and no defense partner could be challenging for a player with two games of NHL experience, but Grzelcyk has an idea of how to handle the task.
“I’m going to try to move the puck as quick as I can and get it in the forwards’ hands,” Grzelcyk said. “Let them make plays down low. I think that’s where we’re going to capitalize hopefully, making some nice little plays to the net. I think my job is to facilitate as best I can.”
Cassidy pointed out Grzelcyk’s agility walking the blue line, in addition to his ability to distribute the puck, as a reason the rookie was the right choice to replace Krug.
“He can move well, he’s looking to pass first, draw some people out, he has some composure,” Cassidy said. “Those are things we like.”
Cut down on slashes
During battle drills Cassidy emphasized to his players that he believes the league’s crackdown on slashing will carry over from the preseason.
“So we’ve instructed our guys to check with your feet, your stick on the ice and body position. And we’ve got to kind of grow that mentality,” Cassidy said. “You’re always going to take a whack here or there and I think there’s room in the game for that, toward the stick and the puck area, not the hands. I think that is something they should try to get out of the game. It’s unnecessary, I think.” . . .
After a lengthy search and audition process, 98.5 The Sports Hub named Judd Sirott as the new radio play-by-play voice to work with analyst Bob Beers. Dave Goucher left last month to do television for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
Sirott served as the fill-in play-by-play man for Chicago Blackhawks games on WGN-AM for the past 10 years.