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This is not how the Boston Bruins wanted to begin their 2016-17 campaign.
In their final practice before the start of the season with a Thursday night head-to-head with the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, the team has announced that top-line center
Patrice Bergeron is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not travel to Columbus.
Bergeron scored the 14th-most goals in the league last year (32), and led the Bruins with 68 points.
Wth Bergeron out,
David Backes moved to the middle of Boston’s first line with
Brad Marchand and
David Pastrnak, while
Danton Heinen moved into Backes’ spot on the Boston second line with
David Krejci and
Ryan Spooner. The group effort down the middle also appears that it will be bolstered by the return of
Austin Czarnik (concussion), who was back at practice and in his normal spot, on a line between Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes.
Down a forward, the team has recalled
Tim Schaller from the Providence Bruins.
The Bruins also released updates on defensemen
Adam McQuaid and
Kevan Miller.
McQuaid, out with an upper-body injury, will not travel to Columbus. The 30-year-old McQuaid finished last season with one goal and nine points, his highest point total since a 10-point 2011-12 season, but has missed 87 games with various injuries since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Meanwhile, Miller, injured in both of his last two preseason appearances, will be on the shelf for six weeks after successful surgery on a fractured left hand. Miller established career-highs in goals (five), assists (13), points (18), hits (164), blocked shots (123) and shots on goal (64) last year.
The Bruins open up their season at 7 p.m. tomorrow against the Blue Jackets.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can also be read in the New England Hockey Journal magazine. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • 
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