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Bruins rookie Justin Brazeau leaves game with upper-body injury in Nashville
Brazeau has scored five goals and posted seven total points in 19 total games with Boston this season.
The Bruins lost rookie wing Justin Brazeau to injury during Tuesday’s road game against the Nashville Predators — with the fourth-line forward ruled out due to an upper-body ailment.
Brazeau was rocked by Nashville defenseman Luke Schenn in a center-ice collision with 2:50 remaining in the opening period at Bridgestone Arena.
The 26-year-old rookie, favoring either his shoulder or arm while getting assessed by Boston’s bench, eventually made his way down the tunnel for additional treatment.
Schenn was whistled for roughing on the play, but Boston’s power play was unable to convert against Nashville’s shorthanded unit.
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Brazeau did not return to the ice for the start of the second period, with Boston ruling him out of the game just minutes later.
Speaking after the Bruins’ 3-0 win over the Predators, Jim Montgomery didn’t have much clarity in terms of Brazeau’s status moving forward.
“Upper body,” Montgomery said postgame. “We’ll have more in the coming days about length and stuff. But we don’t really have much besides that right now.”
Any extended absence would be a tough blow for both the Bruins and Brazeau, who has bolstered Boston’s checking line and second power-play unit thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame and poised scoring touch around the netfront.
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Brazeau has been a welcome surprise for the Bruins since getting called up to the NHL ranks on Feb. 19. An undrafted free agent who first joined the Bruins organization in 2021-22 on a minor-league deal, Brazeau has scored five goals and posted seven total points in 19 total games with Boston this season.
A fourth-line grouping of Brazeau, Jesper Boqvist, and Johnny Beecher has impressed during their limited reps together this season. In their 30:16 of 5v5 ice time, the Bruins have outscored opponents, 2-0, and held a 14-5 edge in shots on goal.
The eventual arrival of veteran winger Pat Maroon would help account for Brazeau’s potential absence with the Stanley Cup Playoffs now less than three weeks away.
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