Carlo is Latest Bruin to Return from COVID-19 Protocol

BOSTON - Brandon Carlo became the latest Bruins player to return from COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday morning, joining his teammates for their fourth straight day of practice at Warrior Ice Arena. The Black & Gold, who are aiming to restart their season on Saturday afternoon against Buffalo, are nearly back at full health with Charlie Coyle the only remaining player in protocol.
Coyle, who was placed on the list on Dec. 26, could be eligible to return to the group this weekend if he meets the new requirements that were set forth by the NHL on Wednesday.

The updated guidelines, which are similar to those announced by the CDC on Tuesday, allow for those that tested positive for COVID-19 to leave isolation after five days as long as any fever has resolved and symptoms are dissipating. Additional testing must also be conducted, while the player shall continue to wear a mask around others for an additional five days.
"It's a good question. I just found that out myself," Cassidy said of the new protocols. "I have to get in touch with [GM Don Sweeney] or [assistant GM Evan Gold] upstairs to see if they've contacted them, to see if they fall under the old protocol or the new protocol. If that's the case, I believe he tested on the day after Christmas, so we'd get him back most likely this weekend if it's the new protocol. It will be interesting to find out where the players end up on this."
Craig Smith, the first Bruins player to enter protocol on Dec. 14, said he suffered only mild symptoms during his bout with COVID-19. The winger returned to practice on Sunday when the team resumed activities following the extended holiday break.
"It was just a typical virus. Growing up, that's kind of how it was. There was nothing that you could really take, just let it run its course. Chills for a little bit, cough, was more like a sinus infection. That was it," said Smith.

Smith missed two games while in protocol after sitting out for a combined seven games earlier in the season as he battled through a lingering injury. He is hoping that the added practice time this week will help to get him into a solid spot ahead of what the Bruins hope is a busy stretch of games.
"There's so much ground ahead of us," said Smith. "I think we just need to make sure we stay healthy from here on out. Just taking care of our bodies. This week was almost good in a way that we can kind of ramp back up. Jumping right back into it, some of us hadn't been on the ice for 14-15 days, so these couple days are a nice way to ramp back up into game playing shape and get working on our systems again and get working in the right way."
Smith acknowledged that his game remains "a work in progress" despite having built some momentum following a slow start to the season. The 32-year-old had compiled seven points (two goals, five assists) over his last 11 games, including three points in his last five ahead of landing in protocol.
"Still working at it," said Smith. "I think there's a couple good things I can take away but ultimately I'm not satisfied, definitely. We'll keep working here. Get a little break. New Year's Resolution, I guess. It's gonna be fun, gonna be fun to get back into it. Everybody's excited. There's always some excitement around the holidays and New Year's. Saturday will be fun."
Cassidy said that the Bruins are prepared for a challenging stretch with 56 games remaining through the end of the regular season. But with Boston having dealt with a several extended breaks in the schedule already this year, the Black & Gold are very much looking forward to an uptick in game action.
"Once you start playing, there's very little time - maybe around the All-Star Break you'll have time to reset and if you need practice days to kind of fix your team," said Cassidy. "It's tough with a schedule like this. You've got to balance rest with work…it's frustrating when you don't have a concrete date. We weren't sure. Now we do, we know it's Saturday, so I think that helps everybody mentally.
"It will be a challenge with the frequency of games coming in the second half. But if you're playing well and you're healthy then all you want to do is play and it can work to your advantage just as easily as against you."

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