BOSTON — Jim Montgomery wasn’t ready to say that Justin Brazeau would be in the Bruins lineup for Game 5 against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. But just the fact that he could be was a very big step for the rookie forward.
Brazeau had been a terrific story before suffering an upper-body injury against the Predators in Nashville on April 2. The 26-year-old undrafted free agent not only was a surprise call-up to the Bruins, but he was thriving with five goals and two assists in 19 games. He’d added some needed physicality to the bottom six and had been an effective addition to the power play.
Fanatics Sportsbook
10X$100 BONUS BET
BET MATCH BONUS
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)
Initially, Montgomery thought the Bruins would have to reach the second round of the playoffs for Brazeau to even have a shot at returning. But on Monday, Montgomery said Brazeau was an option to put into the lineup.
“It feels good. It’s been a long couple of weeks. I’ve been waiting to get back into the lineup. To hear that feels good,” Brazeau said. ” I’m obviously really excited. It’s something I’ve worked my entire life for so I can’t wait to get in there.”
He admitted he was frustrated to get derailed when he did.
“Obviously, the timing wasn’t great. I had started to get more comfortable in the league and something like that happens,” he said. “But it’s part of the game and I have to move forward with it.”
Watching Games 1-4, Brazeau thought his rugged playing style would be a natural fit in the postseason.
“Just watching the physicality. It’s been a couple of weeks and I’ve only played regular-season games. But I’m excited,” he said. “It’s something in my game I enjoy, getting to the hard areas. It’s something I’ve always done in my game so it’s not I have to change. I’ve worked my whole life for this I’m excited to get out there and hopefully help out.”
