Going into Toronto on Saturday night for their first of three matchups with the Maple Leafs this year, the Boston Bruins were going to be a very shorthanded team. They were already missing Elias Lindholm, who was injured last week against the Buffalo Sabres, and then they were missing three more players, one unsurprising and three that were surprising.
John Beecher made the trip to Toronto, but didn't play after he left Thursday night's overtime win over the Ottawa Senators with an injury. Then, head coach Marco Sturm dropped the news about Charlie McAvoy (personal reasons), and Casey Mittlestadt (injury) also did not travel for the one-game trip.