In the latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, as if one injured defenseman wasn’t bad enough, another one goes down with an injury in the first game of their four-game Western Canada road trip Wednesday night (Feb. 21). Game two will be Wednesday night (Feb. 22) with a game against a potential trade target that would help the Black and Gold’s defense and Boston play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards opens up about his health.
Matt Grzelcyk Goes Down Early vs. Edmonton
Just over a minute into the game against the Oilers, Matt Grzelcyk was slashed on his ankle by Edmonton’s Ryan McLeod and went down along the boards in the Bruins’ defensive zone. McLeod was given a penalty and Boston cashed in with a Morgan Geekie power-play goal. However, Grzelcyk did not return to the game and they had to finish the final 59 minutes and overtime with just five defensemen.
In the second period, the Bruins announced that Grzelcyk was not returning to the game with a lower-body injury, which was not surprising since he needed help getting off the ice. Following the game, coach Jim Montgomery said that his left-shot blue liner is day-to-day (from ‘Bruins win wild one in Edmonton, 6-5, in OT,’ Boston Herald, Feb. 22, 2024). This comes just over 48 hours after Hampus Lindholm went down with an injury in the third period against the Dallas Stars in a 4-3 nine-round shootout victory. In Lindholm’s place, Mason Lohrei was called up from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). He logged over 23 minutes and had three assists in the 6-5 overtime win over the Oilers.
Bruins Face Potential Trade Target in Calgary
There is a lot of trade chatter surrounding the Calgary Flames, especially after they traded center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 1. There are other players that could be moved before the March 8 trade deadline and Boston general manager (GM) Don Sweeney would be interested in one of them who you have to think is a huge trade target of Sweeney.
Related: Bruins Recall Mason Lohrei from Providence
It’s no secret that the Bruins are having issues with the left side of their defense, which is compounded even more with injuries to Hampus Lindholm and Grzelcyk, while Derek Forbort has struggled lately and on the ice for a lot of goals. Boston will get a second look at Noah Hanifin of the Flames and you have to think that Sweeney is going to kick the tires more on the former Boston College defenseman who will be a free agent following the season. The question is, does Sweeney have the draft capital, prospects, and or a roster player that Calgary would be interested in? That remains to be seen as it becomes more clear that Montgomery could use another impact left-shot defenseman for the stretch run and playoffs.
Jack Edwards Opens Up About His Health
Anyone who has been watching Bruins’ games on NESN this season has noticed a different Jack Edwards. The 66-year-old sounds different, he sometimes loses his thoughts during the play-by-play and sounds like he slurs his speech. It hasn’t stopped the often controversial Edwards from making off-topic comments, but he opened up with Chad Finn of the Boston Globe about his health and says that he’s fine.
“The way I see it, two things work to my disadvantage,” Edwards said. “The game is speeding up all the time. And I’m slowing down all the time.” (from ‘NESN’s Jack Edwards opens up about his speech issues: ‘I’m slowing down all the time’, Boston Globe, Feb. 22, 2024).
“I did not have some kind of accident,” Edwards continued. “I do not have cancer. I don’t have dementia. I haven’t had a stroke. All of that’s been confirmed by Mass. General neurology. They’ve done tests that seem like I’m going through some sort of science-fiction scene, but it’s really true. The images of my brain literally reveal nothing. That’s my joke with them.”
Edwards, who took a shot during a broadcast in November of 2022 toward Pat Maroon of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has not always traveled on the road this season, instead, NESN has had Alex Faust fill in. Edwards knows that retirement is getting closer and closer, but didn’t give any indication when that will be.
“l love my job, but I know that retirement isn’t that far off,” said Edwards. “I’m going to turn 67 next month. I hope to make a graceful exit when the day comes.”
There is no in-between when it comes to Edwards as Bruins fans either love him or can’t stand him. Faust has done a very good job filling in for Edwards and the hope is that NESN has him replace Edwards, whenever that day comes.
Bruins Continue Trip
After the Bruins play the Flames, they head to Vancouver on Saturday night (Feb. 24) for the third game of their four-game road trip, before closing it out Monday night (Feb. 25) against the Seattle Kraken. During the recent seven-game homestand, the Bruins beat the Canucks, but lost to both the Flames and Kraken. After Seattle, Boston returns home on Feb. 29 to host former coach Bruce Cassidy and the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights at the TD Garden.
