Forward David Pastrnak will likely return to the Boston Bruins lineup Tuesday after missing a month with a thumb injury.
The Bruins’ leading scorer when he went down, Pastrnak underwent a procedure on the thumb last month. He had fallen and injured the thumb during a sponsorship dinner, general manager Don Sweeney said then.
Pastrnak took part in morning skate Tuesday, and Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he was a game-time decision but would likely play. Cassidy was asked if Pastrnak would be on a minutes restriction.
“Yes and no,” he said. “He’s cleared to play, medically, so there’s no issue there. For him it’s the comfort level of him wearing a brace. How does that affect his puck handling? Where’s his conditioning at. We think it’s good. It’s always been good. So I suspect we’ll have to keep an eye on his shift length more than his actual minutes.”
Pastrnak, 22, has 31 goals and 35 assists this season. He’ll slot into the lineup alongside Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
The Bruins go into their game against the Islanders with 95 points, tied with Calgary for the second-most in the league behind Tampa Bay.