Bruins on track to return from COVID-19 pause Thursday vs. Islanders

Thursday's game between the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders in Boston is now scheduled to become the first professional sporting event in Massachusetts to welcome paying spectators since the COVID-19 pandemic caused leagues such as the NHL to shut down last March. 

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said on Monday that Boston is on track to return from its current COVID-19 pause for Thursday's matchup. Last Thursday, the NHL allowed the Bruins to face the Buffalo Sabres even though both clubs were dealing with potential coronavirus-related concerns. That decision generated criticism after the NHL temporarily halted Boston's activities amid five Bruins players entering the league's COVID-19 protocols list.  

Boston's subsequent games versus the Sabres and Islanders were postponed. 

Additionally, the NHL postponed Monday's showdown between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in Montreal after Canadiens forwards Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi entered the COVID-19 protocols. No Edmonton players had been added to the list as of early Monday evening, and it's unknown if either Armia or Kotkaniemi tested positive for the coronavirus. 

According to the NHL's website, a total of 43 games, to date, have been postponed during the 2020-21 regular season. 38 of those reschedulings are related to the health crisis, while five contests were scrapped because of winter storms.