Bruins place Brad Marchand, Craig Smith in COVID-19 protocol

In what's becoming a worrisome trend, a recent opponent of the Calgary Flames is facing setbacks related to the coronavirus.

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the Boston Bruins placed forwards Brad Marchand and Craig Smith into the NHL's COVID-19 protocol ahead of Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Boston's update comes one day after the league postponed at least Calgary's next three contests due to a coronavirus outbreak. 

Boston defeated the Flames in Calgary on Saturday. The Flames, meanwhile, currently have nine players and one staff member in the COVID-19 protocol. 

As Eric Russo noted for the Bruins' website, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy cleared the protocol Monday after he missed six games.  

"You see what happened in Calgary, we were just there," Cassidy told reporters, according to Amalie Benjamin of the NHL's website. "So is there going to be a trickle? All those things come into your head. But at the end of the day, you do your best to try to stay safe.

"Just keep your fingers crossed with this. Hope that a guy like 'Smitty,' it's just minor side effects if he has any at all, [minor] symptoms. But in general, you hope it doesn't go through your team. You saw what happened to the [New York] Islanders. I think it really puts you behind the eight-ball. Or Ottawa [Senators] early on."

Both the Islanders and Senators have encountered schedule disruptions this fall because of COVID-19 issues.