The defensemen have been counted on a lot this season, with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy both sidelined.

Bruins winger Nikita Zadorov explained the difference between playing in Vancouver and playing in Boston after signing an extension.

Zadorov logged an assist, four hits, three blocked shots, seven PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Lightning. Zadorov has two helpers, 21 hits, 13 blocked shots and 13 PIM over his last five contests.

Former Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov has seen a decline in his underlying numbers since joining the Boston Bruins

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Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is still recovering from an undisclosed injury with no set return date.

Lindholm has been a 22-point flop. He is signed for six more seasons with no-move protection through 2029. Lindholm, 30, is practically untradeable, even if the Bruins eat part of his remaining salary.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is being shut down for a few games with a nagging injury, interim head coach Joe Sacco said Tuesday, per Boston Sports Journal's Joe Haggerty.The Bruins placed McAvoy on injured reserve amidst a flurry of moves.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (upper body) will miss a third consecutive game on Monday against San Jose. He continues to nurse an upper-body injury, and it's unclear when Boston will get him back.

The Boston Bruins are back on the ice this afternoon to face the San Jose Sharks. After an ugly shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators last game, the Bruins will aim to bounce back and secure two points.

The Bruins' defense continued to unravel on Wednesday, with Boston falling to the Devils, 5-1, in an uncompetitive matchup.

Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins have underperformed throughout this season. Well, at least by their standards, especially if you consider the fact that they won a combined 112 games in their last two seasons and have only won 24 going into Saturday’s game.