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Boston Bruins forward David Backes will do something he’s never done in his decade-long NHL career tonight when the puck drops between the St. Louis Blues and B’s at TD Garden.
And that’s be on the B’s side of a puck drop between the two. A Bluenote for 10 seasons, including five as the team’s captain, the 32-year-old Backes did note some of the awkwardness that comes with the unknown territory of going against his former teammates and friends heading into play.
“I have a lot of mixed emotions,… Backes admitted after the B’s morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. “[I] just want to stay in the moment and do what I can to help our team.…
Sixth on the organization’s all-time scoring list and one of just five players to skate in at least 700 games as a member of the Blues, Backes admittedly can’t forget the friendships on the other bench, but wants to remain locked in for a Black and Gold team he signed on with for five years this summer.
“Lot of good people over there, lot of good friends, but we’re wearing different jerseys tonight,… Backes said. “I think they’re well aware and I’m well aware that we’re going after two points tonight.
“As long as I’m shooting on the right net, I think we’ll be just fine.…
Tuukka Rask is the expected starter in the Boston net.
Craig Cunningham still on former teammates’ minds
It was an undeniably scary scene Saturday night when Craig Cunningham collapsed to the ice before the start of an AHL game between the Tucson Roadrunners and Manitoba Moose.
Attended to by team doctors and fire department personnel, Cunningham was ultimately carried off via a stretcher, and play was suspended for the night before it even began. In the hospital with a ‘medical emergency’, the Coyotes have announced that Cunningham is in critical but stable condition, and the hockey world has been left to pray for the best for one of hockey’s true good guys.
Those prayers and hopes are especially strong in Boston, where Cunningham began his NHL career as a fourth-round choice (97th overall) of the Bruins in 2010, and spent four years with overall from 2011 to 2015, including runs as a leader for the P-Bruins and 34 games at the NHL level.
“If you read what’s been written about him, it’s what everyone is going to say about this guy, he’s a class act,… Claude Julien said. “You really couldn’t find a better individual as far as a teammate, a player to coach, on the ice he’s just one of those guys that leaves it all out there.
“Quality, quality person.…
Other news and notes
Bit of a switch up for the Bruins tonight with their lines.
With David Pastrnak (upper-body) still out of action, Riley Nash remains on the first line’s right side, while Matt Beleskey will move up to the left wing of the team’s second line with David Krejci and Backes. That has moved Ryan Spooner to his familiar third-line center spot, while Tim Schaller shifts to the wing of that spot opposite Austin Czarnik. The fourth line goes back to its more traditional look, with Dominic Moore between Sean Kuraly and Jimmy Hayes.
And while Pastrnak’s third straight absence is certainly a bummer, there was some good news following the team’s morning skate, as Pastrnak was joined on the ice by Frank Vatrano. In his first on-ice session since September’s foot surgery, the 22-year-old Vatrano skated for about 20 minutes.
Vatrano is still on track for a mid-to-late December return.
Defenseman Kevan Miller (fractured left hand) also skated and is getting ‘closer’ to a return.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010 and has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013. Ty is also the Boston Bruins beat writer for WEEI.com and can also be found in the New England Hockey Journal. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.