Bruins Doing Best to Make Most of Latest Break in Schedule

BOSTON - The Bruins have played just seven games this season, tied for the fewest in the National Hockey League, as they maneuver through what has been a rather unusual schedule to begin the 2021-22 campaign.
Following their preseason finale, the B's had a 10-day layoff before the opener against Dallas, which was followed by another four-day break before their second game. Boston then played six games in 11 days - including a back-to-back in Florida and Carolina last week - but is now amid yet another lengthy pause.
After taking down the previously unbeaten Panthers on Saturday night, the Bruins will not play again until Thursday when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to TD Garden. The Black & Gold will also have six days between games later this month.

"I mean, you're gonna value this time at some point. It helps you recover…we've had a couple guys out. I don't want to say catch our breath because we haven't had to catch our breath…but maybe heal a little bit," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said following Tuesday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena.
"At the end of the day, the season's here, it's starting, you want to get playing and get playing on a regular basis. The challenge for us is keeping everybody ready, using practice efficiently. We're trying to do that but until we play a few games it's hard to always tell how it worked out. That's where we're at.
"We do have a veteran enough group that they should be able to play through it and enjoy their family time if they can it, I guess. Younger guys it might be tougher, they're expending a lot of energy in practice where older guys can balance it better and have enough for the games."
With so much time in between games, the Bruins have practiced extensively, which has given newcomers like goaltender Linus Ullmark an opportunity to see just how hard this group gets after it day in and day out.
"I figured out the standard for practices was pretty high. Went pretty hard even though we didn't have any coaches' practices before camp [during captain's practice]," said Ullmark. "And then camp started, and you step up a couple more times, have a lot of young guys that tried to make a name for themselves and gain a spot.
"What I think is one of the most impressive things is just how hard we're practicing every single day when we're out there. There's not a day where we just go through the motions. We're actually out there every single day trying to get better on the things we need to work on."

Making An Impact

Bruins alternate captain Brandon Carlo said on Tuesday afternoon that the team - at the prompting of Cassidy and captain Patrice Bergeron - got together over the weekend and watched TSN's interview with Kyle Beach, who recently revealed himself as the victim in an alleged 2010 sexual assault when he was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization.
"We felt a responsibility that we wanted to all watch the interview together," said Carlo. "I think he was trying to display, obviously, a message for all of us, speak up, and have a lot of courage in doing so. It was obviously very powerful, and it affected all of us in a way that you could tell. I just want to commend him on his courage, first and foremost.
"I think it was a great thing for all of us to do. Like I said, it was very courageous for him to come out and do all this. He's not doing it for no reason. He's doing it to put a stop to things like this. Once you see it, you see the emotion involved with it, and also just gain an understanding that things like this do happen and his message was very clear that you don't have to be alone in it.
"That was huge to see and very powerful. I think it was great that we all watched it. Also, very hard to watch."
Carlo, who is the club's Players' Association rep, also took part in a call regarding the situation with the NHLPA's leadership on Monday afternoon.
"From there on, it kind of transitions to you feel a responsibility within the Players' Association in different things to really further investigate the knowledge and the information that was given to certain people that didn't act accordingly in regards to making more of an effort to stand up for Kyle," said Carlo.
"A good amount of frustration, just questioning basically more so what was going on. It's a big responsibility to make it known that we want more of an investigation, further review of how things were handled.
"Overall, I think that will be accomplished and that's very important for the players at this point to make sure that things are handled appropriately going forward and also getting the knowledge out there of who was involved in all of this."

Maintenance Man

Bergeron took a maintenance day and did not practice on Tuesday. Cassidy said Boston's captain will be back with the group on Wednesday. Jack Studnicka took Bergeron's place between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.