Unfortunately, Marcus Johansson’s tough injury luck hasn’t changed with the scenery from New Jersey to Boston.
In just his fourth game since being traded to the Bruins, Johansson suffered a lung contusion stemming from a hard (but seemingly legal) hit by Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland, which happened during Boston’s 4-3 OT win on Tuesday.
The team announced that Johansson, 28, will be reevaluated in one week, so it’s difficult to tell how long he’ll actually be out. On the bright side, the Swedish winger was released from hospital after being monitored overnight, according to the Bruins.
Check footage of the hit, and more, in the video above this post’s headline.
David Backes challenged Ferland to a fight shortly after the hit. Ferland ended up leaving that game, too, likely from the brief bout (although sometimes the deliverer of a big check can also be hurt, and on occasion, they won’t realize they’re injured until after the fact).
Backes credited Ferland with being held “accountable” for that hit on a “skilled guy.”
As you likely remember, much of Johansson’s days were marred by concussion issues stemming from Brad Marchand, who’s now his teammate. They seemed to smooth things over once Johansson landed with the B’s, but either way, it seems like Johansson can’t catch a break.
(Actually, if he said “give me a break,” I’d fear for his bones.)
Through four games, Johansson had only managed an assist, but promising possession numbers indicated that he might be capable of giving the Bruins the sort of supporting help they need beyond that top line of Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and (when healthy) David Pastrnak. According to Natural Stat Trick, Johansson’s most common five-on-five linemates had been David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.
Considering Johansson’s pending UFA status - and the injuries he’s already fought through - this setback could hurt Johansson’s wallet as much as it dings the Bruins’ depth.
A cursory Google search indicates that a lung contusion is, essentially, a bruised lung. That sounds pretty rough, but maybe it’s something Johansson can eventually work through?
It doesn’t sound pleasant either way, and it really emphasizes the Bruins’ wider-scale issues with bumps and bruises. How strong will this team be when it’s at full-strength? That’s hard to tell, as we so rarely see the Bruins in that state.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.