“He’s a formidable rival,” Montgomery informó a los reporteros, conforme a la cobertura postgame de NESN. “Una característica de él es que lleva su corazón expuesto en el ice.” “Es un Bruin.”

The Boston Bruins, already without a pair of defenders for multiple weeks, watched another scary shot to a key blue-line patrolman Thursday night.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn sent Brandon Carlo head-first into the boards and only received a two-minute minor for boarding on the defenseless hit. Carlo, who’s missed time with concussions before, exited the ice with a trip back to the locker room. Luckily for the Bruins, Carlo did return to the bench as Boston endured a 7-2 loss to the Stars.

Head coach Jim Montgomery did not offer a firm update on Carlo, though he did praise the defenseman’s toughness and his value in the culture of the Bruins.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Montgomery told reporters, per NESN’s postgame coverage. “One thing about Brando is he wears his heart out on the ice. He’s a Bruin.”

Boston needs Carlo healthy as Andrew Peeke and Hampus Lindholm remain sidelined with injuries.

The Bruins return to TD Garden on Saturday afternoon to host the St. Louis Blues. Boston came back from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to win in St. Louis Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of postgame coverage, on NESN.