Bruins' Spooner To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Groin Tear
BOSTON (CBS) -- The injuries continue to pile up for the Bruins, who may not have Tuukka Rask in goal for the foreseeable future. Now, they will need to play without Ryan Spooner, as the forward will miss 4-6 weeks with a groin adductor tear suffered against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The Bruins announced Spooner's injury on Wednesday. The 26-year-old had scored one assist in five games with a minus-1 rating, averaging 13:17 of ice time.
Forwards Kenny Agostino and Peter Cehlarik were recalled from Providence on Wednesday, but Sean Kuraly took Spooner's spot as the third line center during the team's practice at the Warrior Ice Arena.
On the positive side, Patrice Bergeron and David Backes appear close to returning, and could be back in the Bruins lineup as soon as Thursday night against the Canucks at the TD Garden. Both forwards practiced in their usual spots on Wednesday. Backes is closer to returning than Bergeron, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy, but the latter has not yet been ruled out for Thursday. (UPDATE: The Bruins have reassigned Peter Cehlarik to Providence, according to the Boston Globe's Fluto Shinzawa. This means that Backes could be ready to return.)
Defenseman Adam McQuaid, who missed Tuesday's practice after leaving Sunday's loss in Vegas with a lower-body injury, also returned to practice and could be back against Vancouver.
