Moore replaces the injured Carlo in lineup

BOSTON — It took John Moore about six months just to be ready to return to NHL competition this season. So, on Saturday night, he was hoping a few weeks between games would not be a big deal.

Moore was Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy’s choice to step in for injured defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) against the Lightning, marking Moore’s first appearance since Feb. 12 in the game against the Canadiens. He had been a [...]

BOSTON — It took John Moore about six months just to be ready to return to NHL competition this season. So, on Saturday night, he was hoping a few weeks between games would not be a big deal.

Moore was Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy’s choice to step in for injured defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) against the Lightning, marking Moore’s first appearance since Feb. 12 in the game against the Canadiens. He had been a healthy scratch for 10 straight games.

"It feels great" to play again, Moore said. "I love hockey. I love competing, especially with this group. I’ve done everything I can to put myself in a position of success, and now it’s the fun part — going out and playing."

It hasn’t been a fun season for Moore, a second-year Bruin who has been a full-time NHLer since 2011-12. Limited to only 10 of 24 playoff games during last spring’s run to the Stanley Cup finals because of a shoulder injury that required major offseason surgery, he didn’t play his first game of 2019-20 until Dec. 5. By mid-January, the promotion of rookie Jeremy Lauzon from AHL Providence began to cost Moore playing time. Moore was a healthy scratch for 15 of the Bruins’ previous 18 games before Saturday night.

Moore, who moved into Carlo’s right-side spot next to Torey Krug on the Bruins’ second pairing, tried to do all he could to stay ready to play.

"When I’m not in the lineup … I’m not rushing home to watch daytime TV" after a practice or morning skate, he said. "I really do push myself in the gym because I don’t have to worry about being sore for a game. I can stay until the trainers tell me they want to go home."

Moore, who said his surgically repaired shoulder is now stronger than the undamaged one, would prefer that any soreness result from playing games. The length of Carlo’s absence will be one factor but Moore’s performance also will dictate how long he stays in the lineup: Cassidy also has rookie Connor Clifton — unlike Moore, a right-hand shot — as a blue-line option. Clifton hasn’t played for the B’s since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 29, but he played two games at AHL Providence last month and has practiced with the Bruins without limitation for several weeks.

"[Moore] would rather be in the lineup than not play, obviously," Cassidy said, "but he respects our decision and we appreciate that as a staff. Now he gets his opportunity.

"I’m sure there’s part of him that, depending on the length of [Carlo’s] injury, wants to stay in the lineup. He’s got to displace someone to do that if we’re all healthy, so that’ll be the challenge for him."

Carlo reportedly "feeling better"

Carlo was still on the Bruins’ active roster as of Saturday, and Cassidy answered a question about whether the fourth-year defenseman had suffered a concussion on Thursday by saying "upper body. He didn’t skate, so until he’s skated, I guess, we’ll have a better idea. He’s certainly feeling better."

Carlo caught the right elbow of Panthers forward Evgenii Dadonov squarely in the face Thursday night and was unable to return to the game. Dadonov was first assessed a five-minute major penalty for elbowing, but upon reviewing the play, on-ice officials reduced the penalty to a two-minute minor.

While still believing that NHL rules dictated that Dadonov, who was being followed to the boards by Carlo in pursuit of a puck, should have been assessed a major, Cassidy didn’t think Dadonov intended to hurt Carlo.

"I know he felt [Carlo] on his back, so he probably wanted to protect himself, too," Cassidy said. "I don’t think, in that instance, the guy purposely tried to elbow him in the head. I just don’t.

"I don’t think there was intent. I don’t know if that matters on the call, to be honest with you, but I don’t think it was on purpose."

Around the boards

Clifton was removed from injured reserve on Saturday, and placed on the active roster. The Bruins then assigned winger Karson Kuhlman, who had been a healthy scratch for three of the last four games, to AHL Providence. ... Anders Bjork, who played on Thursday at Florida after sitting out two straight games, was out of Saturday’s lineup; Par Lindholm returned after sitting on Thursday. ... Winger Joakim Nordstrom played his 399th career game.