Boston, Massachusetts: Bruins Center Matt Poitras Skates in a Bubble With a Broken Nose and Travels to Pittsburgh

Boston Bruins center Matt Poitras was back on the ice on Wednesday, and he brought a new piece of equipment with him. Poitras practiced at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton wearing a full bubble shield and said after practice that he broke his nose on Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights, according to the Bruins practice report on NHL.com. It is the first broken nose of his career.

Poitras will travel with the team to Pittsburgh for Thursday's 7 p.m. game against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Boston Hockey Now reported that he will be a game time decision.

How he was hurt

Poitras took an elbow to the face from Vegas forward Braeden Bowman on Monday night. Boston Hockey Now reported that he left the game 2:49 into the second period and did not return, then had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and did not skate with the team that day. He was back for the full practice on Wednesday.

Poitras told reporters his nose has been reset and his breathing is better, although he is breathing mostly through his mouth. In the Bruins report he said wearing a bubble is new for him and will take a few skates to get used to, especially when looking down at the puck through the visor. Boston Hockey Now reported that Poitras talked with Bowman, his old linemate in junior hockey, and called the play unlucky, saying he put himself in a bad spot. Bowman will not face any discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety, both Boston Hockey Now and Boston Hockey Insider reported.

What the coach said

Head coach Marco Sturm kept the decision open. In the Bruins report, Sturm said Poitras stayed out for the whole practice, which he called a good thing, and that the staff will see how he feels on Thursday and go from there. The team's training staff will keep monitoring him up to puck drop.

Poitras had only just worked his way back this fall. Sports Illustrated reported that he began the season on injured reserve after a lower body injury in training camp on September 22, and made his season debut on October 5 against the Ottawa Senators. Boston Hockey Insider reported that he has four goals and three assists in 12 games this season, so a second absence would take a productive young center out of the lineup again.

Brunet draws back in

The same practice pointed to a change on defense. Frederic Brunet skated on the third pair with Mason Lohrei in the last two practices and is expected to return on Thursday, Boston Hockey Now reported. Brunet has not played since the 2-1 loss to Carolina on October 27 and missed three games as a healthy scratch. Sturm called the scratch a reset, not a punishment. NHL.com reported that Brunet, 23, posted four points, one goal and three assists, in his first 10 games as a rookie, and that he used the week upstairs to watch Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm and work on quicker decisions.

Boston plays Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and the lineup questions are now simple ones. Brunet looks in. Poitras travels, skates, and waits for a decision on Thursday.