- Bruins rookie James Hagens left Thursday’s win over the Penguins early in the third period
- Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard cross-checked him in the lower back as he drove the net
- Read below for what we know and when Boston plays next
The Bruins won big in Pittsburgh, but they may have lost James Hagens along the way.
The rookie forward left Thursday’s 6-2 win over the Penguins early in the third period after Samuel Girard cross-checked him in the lower back. Hagens did not return, and Boston hasn’t offered an update yet.
Here’s the NESN video of the hit:
Hagens was driving across the front of the net when Girard got him from behind. He grabbed at the spot right away, where there’s no padding, and skated gingerly back to the bench. After a short chat with a trainer, he headed down the tunnel to the locker room.
The Bruins were already up 5-2 at that point. Fraser Minten added a goal on a 2-on-1 after Hagens left, and Boston held on for its third straight win to improve to 12-4-1.
Our own timeline caught the moment as it happened, and the replay shows Hagens had just made a move around Girard before the contact:
This is a tough break for Boston. Hagens has six goals through 17 games, which ties Elias Lindholm for second on the team behind David Pastrnak’s eight. He has been a regular on that Lindholm line all season.
The Bruins have been dealing with bumps already. Matt Poitras took an elbow to the face earlier this week, and now another young forward is a question mark.
Boston is off Friday and practices Saturday before a Sunday game against Florida. Whether Hagens is on the ice Saturday will tell us a lot about his status for that game.
