The Boston Bruins have been skating through a minefield of injuries this season, and for a moment on Saturday night at TD Garden, it looked like they were about to take another major hit to their already-thin blue line.
Midway through their matchup with the Montreal Canadiens, defenseman Nikita Zadorov had Bruins fans holding their breath. The towering 6-foot-7, 255-pound blueliner briefly left the game in the first period, only to return and log more minutes in the second. But late in that middle frame, things took a scary turn.
Zadorov was battling in the defensive zone when he absorbed a hit along the boards from Montreal’s Zachary Bolduc. On the landing, his right skate appeared to catch awkwardly in the ice, causing his knee to buckle in a way that immediately raised red flags.
He stayed down on the ice for several seconds, clearly in discomfort, before trainers rushed out to attend to him. When he was finally helped off, he wasn’t putting any weight on that right leg - and TD Garden fell silent.
It was a moment that could’ve spelled serious trouble for a Bruins defense corps that’s already been tested this season. But in a surprising and encouraging twist, Zadorov was back on the bench to start the third period and took a regular shift. That’s a huge sigh of relief for Boston, given how significant his physical presence and defensive reliability have been since joining the team.
This isn’t the first time the Bruins have seen a key defenseman go down against the Canadiens this season. Back in November, Charlie McAvoy took a deflected puck to the face in a game against Montreal and missed a chunk of time. And Hampus Lindholm - another top-four defenseman - has had his own struggles staying healthy, including an injury in just the second game of the season against the Blackhawks and another setback earlier this month.
Zadorov’s return to the ice in the third doesn’t just help stabilize the Bruins’ blue line - it may have also spared Boston from being forced into a tough roster decision. With Rasmus Andersson recently dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Bruins missed out on a potential trade target who could’ve provided some much-needed depth on the back end. Had Zadorov’s injury been serious, that missed opportunity would’ve loomed even larger.
For now, Boston can breathe a little easier. Zadorov’s resilience - and his quick return - is a big win for a team that’s been grinding through adversity on the back end all season.