Spooner eager to get in
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
Ryan Spooner is fit to play and there is a spot waiting for him. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Spooner will likely dress for today’s game with the New York Rangers at the Garden.
Cassidy made the announcement following an abbreviated practice yesterday at Warrior Ice Arena that was limited to a dozen players, including Spooner. He could replace rookie right winger Anders Bjork on the second line with center David Krejci and left winger Jake DeBrusk.
“We’ll make that decision 100 percent (today) but I think it is time,” said Cassidy. “We kind of went back and forth because we don’t want a reoccurrence (of the injury) if we can help it and the lineup was going well obviously. We are confident he can play well but we want to make sure he has the best chance to stay in the lineup.”
Spooner suffered a groin injury against Las Vegas on Oct. 15 and missed 14 games. He made two comebacks only to suffer setbacks, the latest at Nashville on Dec. 4. Spooner skated in only 10 games this year with 1-3-4 totals.
“It’s been eight or nine weeks and I came back at five and a half weeks and it felt fine then but it was a little bit early,” said Spooner. “It feels fine now and I’ve been skating and it feels perfect. The last four games I thought I played well but it was one of those things where you go to make a move and it starts to hurt and then it is in the back of your mind ‘do I play on it or not play on it.’ ”
Cassidy is satisfied with the work of his centers, Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Riley Nash and Sean Kuraly, and said he will play Spooner on the wing.
“I played on the wing the last four games and it’s fine with me,” Spooner. “Last year I played 25-30 games on the wing and it’s not a problem for me.”
Cassidy benched Bjork in the second period of Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to Washington. Bjork will likely watch the Rangers games from the ninth floor and could be sent to AHL Providence.
“He hasn’t been a healthy scratch yet and he hasn’t been to Providence, and those are discussions we will have internally,” said Cassidy. “We’ll do what is best for him and best for the Boston Bruins.”
Tuukka in goal
Cassidy said Tuukka Rask will start today and split duties with Anton Khudobin when the Bruins play Columbus at home on Monday and at Buffalo the following night. Rask evened his record to 8-8-2 with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night in Detroit . . . .
Matt Beleskey cleared waivers and remains Bruins property. He is expected to be optioned to Providence.
Praise for Parker
Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk spent three of his four years at Boston University with coach Dave Quinn but was recruited by and played his freshman season for Jack Parker.
Grzelcyk was thrilled that Parker was inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
“He was someone I idolized growing up in Charlestown, and I felt I related to him with him being a Boston guy,” said Grzelcyk. “I really appreciated my time with him and learned a lot, and he was a great mentor on and off the ice.”