Marchand Likely Out Saturday Vs. Sabres But Will Travel To Winter Classic; McAvoy Back On IR
BOSTON (CBS) -- Brad Marchand will likely miss the Bruins visit to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, but the forward may get to finally play in a Winter Classic next week.
Marchand did not practice on Friday with an upper-body injury, but will travel with the team to Notre Dame, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Friday morning. That means he may be able to return when the Bruins will take on the Chicago Blackhawks on New Year's Day.
Cassidy said Marchand was dealing with a stomach bug ahead of Thursday night's loss to the New Jersey Devils in Boston. He also took a big hit from Blake Coleman on his first shift, but still played over 20 minutes in the 5-2 loss.
This could just be a case of the Bruins being overly cautious with Marchand, or they could be making sure he doesn't do anything silly Saturday night to earn a suspension for their National TV clash with the Blackhawks. In 2016, Marchand was suspended just ahead of Boston's last Winter Classic appearance, so he didn't get to lace them up against the Canadiens at Gillette Stadium.
The Bruins also have another injury on their blue line to deal with, as Charlie McAvoy is back on IR and will miss his second straight game on Saturday night. McAvoy recently missed 20 games with a concussion, and is currently dealing with a lower body injury after blocking a shot in Sunday's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
McAvoy will travel with the team to Buffalo, and if healthy, is eligible to return for the Winter Classic.
