Bruins Notebook: The road at Lake Tahoe gets bumpy

If there is a theme to this coronavirus-controlled National Hockey League season, it has been adaptability. The Bruins have had three games postponed already because of the pandemic.

But this time it’s the league’s marquee outdoor event at Lake Tahoe that has been tossing all sorts of screwballs at them.

With the ice conditions at the temporary rink the NHL built on the 18th fairway of the Edgewood Golf Course and the predicted solar glare a major concern, the B’s had their start time for Sunday’s game against the Flyers first changed from 3 p.m. EST to 2 p.m. earlier in the week. Then, with the bright sunlight causing havoc with the ice during the Colorado-Vegas game on Saturday, it was announced that the B’s-Flyers game was pushed back to 7:30 p.m. And on Saturday, with worries about over-use of the ice surface already rising, the Bruins’ and Flyers’ practices were moved from the outdoor rink to an indoor facility.

All the pictures of the mountains and the lake were breathtaking. The hockey, however, looked downright dangerous.

“It’s the most difficult weather circumstance we’ve had (for an outdoor game). And it’s a beautiful day,” said commissioner Gary Bettman to NBC after making the decision to move the remainder of the Avs-Knights game to midnight EST after the ice proved to be unplayable after the first period.

But as they’ve done all year, the B’s vowed to roll with whatever is thrown at them. They’ve dealt with issues surrounding outdoor games before, most notably in 2019 when their practice the day before the Winter Classic at Notre Dame was moved indoors because of rain.

Provided the game goes off at the newly scheduled time, coach Bruce Cassidy has a game plan.

“We’ll probably just ask them to simplify their game, manage the puck because of the ice conditions I suspect could be inconsistent,” said Cassidy even before it was clear how bad the ice conditions were. “And also the altitude here. You have to take care of your shift length because we’re at a higher level than we’re used to. There are some of those things that we’ll address more. But it’s always a better memory if you win. We did win at Notre Dame. I remember Sean Kuraly scoring a big goal for us. It just sticks with you longer if it’s a success. But that will be the message. The guys have been through it so they know what it takes. They’ve been through it at Fenway and Gillette and been on both sides of it. They understand probably more than I do and those veteran guys will send that message.”

This will be Patrice Bergeron‘s fourth outdoor game, having played the first one at Fenway Park, then at Gillette Stadium and last year at South Bend. He expressed confidence the league will figure it out.

“Honestly the ice has been good (in the past),” said Bergeron. “Looking back to Fenway all the way through Foxboro and through Notre Dame, especially the Notre Dame game, I remember the ice being hard with a good glide and the puck was moving well. The ice has been really good in my experience. Obviously I’ve heard a little bit about it this time around with the sun glare and it’s a challenge. It’s the same for both sides and you try to make it work and find ways to simplify your game. If the ice is a little chippy, well, you have to put pucks on net and go north-south. So we’ll see. Hopefully they find a way. They always do a great job and find a way to make things work out.”

Presumably, the time change will take care of the glare problem, which should be good news for the netminders. B’s goalie Tuukka Rask said he texted with his old Finnish goalie coach Jussi Parkkila, now with the Avalanche, to see how things were going. It wasn’t promising.

“He was saying it’s pretty bad for goalies out there,” said Rask. “I think they’re pushing our start time back, so I think that will help with the glare. But if the sun is still out, I think it’s going to be pretty bad for goalies. But there’s nothing you can do about it, just try and see the puck as well as you can.”

Krejci, Miller stay back

Cassidy said that Kevan Miller‘s absence on the Tahoe trip was more precautionary for the defenseman who has undergone four knee surgeries that cost him all of last season.

“He had not missed any time at all in terms of games. This was just one of those things where we thought with the break in the schedule, a six-hour flight, then a bus ride Friday and Sunday, to miss one game and get that week of recovery would be well worth it,” said Cassidy. “What is it? Load management that they’re using in the NBA? So we just decided, it’s a little bit sore. Why not let him rest and recover? He misses out on a great opportunity to play outdoors but for the good of his season, why not let him rest a little bit? That was the thinking behind it. We fully anticipate that he’ll be in the lineup in New York on Thursday and ready to go for us in practice when we get back to Boston.”

David Krejci also did not accompany the team after suffering a lower body injury in the B’s loss to the Devils on Thursday, but Cassidy doesn’t expect him to be out long.

“Again, with the travel, if we were going off on a three-game road trip over the course of five or six days, I assume Krech would have come and worked his way back,” said Cassidy. “It’s different than Kevan because he had to leave the game. I’m not going to say they’re the same. But also one where you’re managing because of the situation with the travel involved for one game. I suspect and hope he’ll be joining us next week for practice. That one’s a little less clear, I will say that, until we get back.

What I was told is that it wasn’t that serious.”

Urho Vaakanainen will see his first action and is expected to skate with Brandon Carlo while John Moore drops down to play with Connor Clifton, who gets to play on his strong, right side for the first time this year.

Jack Studnicka will also draw into the lineup and play his natural center position between Anders Bjork and Jake DeBrusk. Nick Ritchie will skate with Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2NtAMwC