The Boston Bruins rewarded hard-nosed defenseman Nikita Zadorov in Wednesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
With Charlie McAvoy and Elias Lindholm out of the lineup due to injuries, Zadorov wore an ‘A’ on his jersey for assistant captain. It was a nice reward for Zadorov, who has been a key member of the Bruins roster.
“It means a lot,” Zadorov said on Wednesday, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “It means the organization, management and coaches, staff and players trust me. I love being part of this. I take pride in it – being in the league and this team.”
Boston signed Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million deal in 2024 and has been an impact defenseman for the Bruins.
Zadorov finished the game skating 21:33, recording an assist in the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
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It was a disappointing result for the Bruins, as head coach Marco Sturm felt like that was a winnable game for Boston.
”Frustrating leaving here without a point,” Sturm said. “I think offensively, we did a good enough job today that could’ve won the game. But defensively, it was just not good enough.”
With the loss, the Bruins fell to 12-10-0 and remain in second place in the Atlantic Division.
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Boston will return to the ice on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET against the Los Angeles Kings.