NHL Game Preview - Florida at Boston

Tue Nov 12, 2019 7:00 PM EST

The hits keep coming for the Boston Bruins.

In addition to a three-game losing streak, the defending Eastern Conference champions are also dealing with their fair share of injuries. Defenseman Torey Krug will be the latest to miss time as the Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Krug did not practice Monday and will miss Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury sustained late in regulation during Boston's 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy suggested the key defender could return this weekend, though the team recalled Urho Vaakanainen from its American Hockey League affiliate in Providence in the interim.

"We will re-evaluate as the week goes on," Cassidy said of Krug's status. "He was here, but again, until I get more (information), I've got nothing for you."

Cassidy said he will decide between Vaakanainen, a first-round pick in 2017, and Steven Kampfer to play in Krug's place against the Panthers. Also missing from the game for Boston will be forwards Jake DeBrusk (lower body), Brett Ritchie (upper body) and David Backes (upper body).

With several players out, Boston has cooled off of late after going 11-1-2 to begin the season. The team showed renewed signs of life late against Philadelphia, rallying from 2-0 down with two goals in the third period.

Held to 10 shots total through the first 40 minutes of the contest, Boston had 17 in the third.

"We got a little better at that midway through the second and much better in the third," said Patrice Bergeron after the game. "You talk a lot about playing for 60, and if you do that tonight, I would have liked our chances."

While the Bruins fell in a shootout Sunday night, the Panthers were victorious in one earlier that day. Florida topped the New York Rangers on the road, 6-5, in a back-and-forth affair that saw six goals scored in the second period alone.

Evgenii Dadonov led the Panthers' offense with a power-play goal and two assists, and Vincent Trocheck recorded the shootout winner. The victory snapped a two-game skid for Florida.

"It was a good win for us. Now we've got another tough team," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "When you look at Boston, they've got all the ingredients on every line. They've got the balance of a team that looks like they went to the Finals last year. They're playing the right way, too. That's going to be the greatest test that we've had to date."

Florida expects to be without defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who exited Sunday after blocking a shot with his head in the second period. Tuesday's contest will conclude a three-game road trip before the team returns home for four straight beginning Thursday.

Sergei Bobrovsky is expected in net for the Panthers against the Bruins looking to right the ship after an uneven 6-3-4 start and 3.39 goals-against average. Boston will counter with Tuukka Rask (7-2-1, 1.99 GAA).

--Field Level Media