Can the Bruins overcome their injuries to win the Cup?

The Boston Bruins have seen more than their fair share of significant injuries this season, yet they remain atop the Eastern Conference. The “next man up” mentality is the reason the Bruins can still contend.

There has not been a team in the NHL that has had to deal with as many injuries as the Boston Bruins. This is not a stat that any team wants to hold, but the way Boston has dealt with these injuries, as well as the work each player has put in to recover and return to the lineup, is definitely something to be proud of.

In the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs, the Bruins will likely field their healthiest roster since day one of the season. A ridiculous thought, considering they are currently the Eastern Conference’s top seed. The journey has been extremely challenging, but for the laser-focused Bruins, the real test is just beginning.

Here is a list of Boston Bruins players who have sustained  some sort of injury this season (deep breath):

Noel Acciari, David Backes, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, Anton Khudobin, David Krejci, Torey Krug, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Adam McQuaid, Rick Nash, Riley Nash, Tuukka Rask and Tommy Wingels.

It would seem as though that list includes the entire roster. That is because nearly every player has been hurt or injured at some point this season.

In fact, only David Pastrnak and Tim Schaller have suited up in all 79 games for the Bruins this year. It’s incredible to think about that when you see the Bruins atop the Eastern Conference with 110 points. Boston has managed to deal with these injuries by not only maintaining its status as a top-tier team, but by being one of the hottest teams in the league since early December.

The Bruins started the season 11-8-4 through October and November. Since the beginning of December, their record is 38-10-8. They went 11-2-3 in March, most of which was without their best player in Patrice Bergeron, who was out from February 25 until March 25 with a fractured foot. There are so many instances like this throughout the season that you have to wonder how this team has done so well.

One of the reasons has been the addition of productive players.

The Bruins have done extremely well adding players they need to fill gaps this season. Rick Nash was added at the trade deadline and made an immediate impact playing next to David Krejci on the Bruins’ second line. The B’s also bolstered their third and fourth lines by adding Brian Gionta and Tommy Wingels. These three will add grit, depth and valuable experience in the upcoming playoff run, assuming they will all be healthy by then.

Perhaps most impressive of all has been Harvard student Ryan Donato. Donato was signed to an entry-level contract on March 18 and had a goal and two assists in his first game on March 19. Donato’s success in his short time playing with the Bruins so far has been a metaphor for this entire season. Players get hurt, new players fill in and immediately produce. Donato has continued producing since being called up and has proven himself a staple in the lineup because of plays like this:

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/978798234738061312

Unfortunately, Boston will enter the playoffs without defenseman Brandon Carlo for a second straight season. Carlo, who suffered a concussion in the 82nd game of last season that knocked him out of the playoffs, sustained a broken ankle against the Florida Panthers on March 31. This is a huge blow to the Bruins defensive core that you can read more about here:

Related Story: Bruins lose Brandon Carlo for entire postseason

It’s not all bad news for the Bruins, though. They have recently returned veteran leaders Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara, as well as breakout blue-liner Charlie McAvoy, who returned from a sprained MCL on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The B’s are currently without Rick Nash, Tommy Wingels, Riley Nash and Sean Kuraly, but the four of them have positive outlooks, and should be able to return either before or at some point during the playoffs.

Boston will enter the playoffs as healthy as it has been since opening day. That is equal parts ludicrous to think of and fear-inducing for any team that has to face them. The team is solid on all fronts and perhaps deeper than any other team in the league. The same issue that plagued them during last year’s postseason has become one of their greatest strengths this year.

God forbid anything else happen to this team before or during what should be a long playoff run, but if it does they will be prepared. The Bruins can overcome injuries to win the Stanley Cup because they’ve already been doing exactly this all season long.

Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs

The next man up Bruins have depth. If they get and stay healthy, there’s no doubt this team can win a Stanley Cup.