Joe Sacco Provides Update On Two Key Injured Bruins

The Boston Bruins will still be shorthanded when they host the New York Rangers at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon.

Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco ruled out both forward Mark Kastelic and defenseman Hampus Lindholm for the contest.

“He won’t be available for the game tomorrow,” Sacco told reporters of Kastelic after Bruins practice at TD Garden, per team-provided video. “But again, on the ice, practicing with us…that’s a good sign.”

Kastelic has missed the last five games since sustaining an upper-body injury against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 20. He admitted he was in the concussion protocol for the second time this month.

“It’s hard to say,” Kastelic said when asked if he came back too soon from his last concussion, per team-provided video. “It’s a weird injury. You never know if you are overthinking things if you feel good, maybe you’re not as good as truly you’re trying to tell yourself you feel. But, all that matters is I feel 100% now, which feels great.”

The 25-year-old forward has four goals, 13 points, 86 penalty minutes, and 175 hits in 45 games this season with the Bruins. 

Lindholm, who hasn’t played since November with a lower-body injury, had a scheduled day off in his rehabilitation on Friday. Sacco didn’t reveal if the Bruins thought it was possible that he could be back before the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.

“We’re just making sure that when he’s ready to go, that he’s going,” Sacco said. “…We’re still kinda going on a day-to-day basis.”

The 31-year-old tallied three goals and four assists across 17 games this season before the veteran defenseman blocked a Justin Faulk shot and crashed to the ice with 3:08 remaining in the opening frame of Boston’s game with the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 12.