Nash hopeful to play tonight
Confirms concussion
Rick Nash confirmed yesterday that he missed the last 11 games due to a concussion.
Nash experienced a blow to the head in the Bruins win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 17 at the Garden. He is hoping to be back for tonight’s regular-season finale against the visiting Florida Panthers.
“I exposed myself a bit and I feel like I put myself in a bad area and just took a shoulder or forearm to the head,” Nash said after the Bruins pregame skate for last night’s 5-2 win over Ottawa.
“It was typical concussion stuff, headache. I’m hopeful for (tonight).”
Nash became a fixture on the Bruins second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk after being acquired from the New York Rangers in a Feb. 25 trade. Nash had three goals and three assists in the 11 games before the injury.
Nash hopes to reestablish some chemistry with Krejci and DeBrusk before the Bruins open the playoffs at home on Thursday night.
“I would be nice to play (against the Panthers) but it is kind of like a Catch-22,” said Nash. “It would be nice to get those extra five days and get my conditioning up a bit better and get my skill up a bit better, so you have to weigh the pros and cons.”
Harris remembered
The Boston Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and the Bruins foundation presented a check for $25,000 to the Travis Roy Foundation in the name of the late Herald writer Steve Harris, who covered the team for 39 seasons.
PHWA Chapter Chair
Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston presented the check to Harris’ wife Kathy and sons Steve and Jack during a pregame ceremony as part of the Bruins fan appreciation night.
Defenseman Kevan Miller was selected by the “Gallery Gods” to receive the Eddie Shore Award. Brad Marchand won the Elizabeth Dufresne Award for the second straight season. The Dufresne trophy is given to the Bruin who outperforms at home.
Tim Schaller took home the John P. Bucyk award. The 98.5 Sports Hub three stars awards went to Tuukka Rask, Marchand and
Patrice Bergeron.
Top dog
Bruins forward Ryan Donato thinks the Hobey Baker selection committee made the right call in selecting Northeastern’s Adam Gaudette as its 2018 winner announced Friday night at the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.
Donato and Denver’s Henrik Borgstrom were the other finalists. Gaudette led the nation in scoring with 30 goals and 30 assists for the Beanpot champion Huskies.
“He worked hard and he deserved it, and I think all three of the guys could have won,” said Donato. “I think he did a great job in the season and they had a great run in the tournament.”
Gaudette signed an entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks on March 28 after NU was eliminated from the NCAA tournament. Gaudette is the first Northeastern player to win the award.
Past Harvard winners include Mark Fusco (1983), Scott Fusco (1986), Lane MacDonald (1989) and New York Rangers forward Jim Vesey (2016).
“(Vesey) was dominant, he was the best player in college hockey by far,” Donato said. “He was an unbelievable role model and one of those guys you looked up to.”
The South Shore was well represented at the ceremony. Gaudette is from Braintree and Donato is from Scituate.