Injuries aren’t going to make things any easier for the Bruins in their last six games of the season.

The most recent addition to the ever-growing injured list is forward Chuck Kobasew. Kobasew was felled by a shot in the first period in Tuesday’s 6-2 win in Toronto, and results of a CT scan revealed a fractured tibia. Kobasew has 22 goals and 17 assists this season.

Kobasew will join Marc Savard (back) and Andrew Ference (knee) up in the press box for tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Herald reported that Savard has a broken bone in his back.

Going into tonight’s game, the Bruins have 324 man-games lost due to injuries. They surpassed their 2006-2007 season total of 162 on January 12th.

Peter Schaefer will make his way back into the line-up tonight after being a healthy scratch for the last five games. Schaefer has 8 goals and 15 assists in 57 games this season.

Regarding the status of center Patrice Bergeron, defenseman Andrew Alberts and goaltender Manny Fernandez, they all seem to be making some headway with their recovery. A little bit of a cheat sheet as to where they stand right now.

- Patrice Bergeron passed his neuro-psych test yesterday, yet another checkpoint in his comeback from his Grade 3 concussion. Bergeron, however, has not been cleared for full-contact practice. That might come after his appointment this afternoon with a neurologist. Bergeron has been symptom-free for a week. (Globe Blog)

- Defenseman Andrew Alberts appears to have turned a big corner on his way back to the lineup. Chiarelli said Alberts (concussion) has for the first time strung together multiple headache-free days.

If the headaches don’t return for one week, Alberts could be allowed to resume full-contact practice.

“I don’t think he’s ready to play now,” Chiarelli said. “But if we get a week, then one full practice with full contact, it might be enough.” (Herald article)

- The GM reported goalie Manny Fernandez (knee) is 99 percent ready but likely would play only in the event of “dire straits” or “if our (playoff) spot is clinched or we’re eliminated.” (Herald article)

The Bruins hold down the 8th and final playoff spot. Philadelphia is still ahead of them by two points, and Washington is behind by two points. Washington plays Tampa Bay tonight, and Philadelphia has the night off, taking on New Jersey tomorrow.

Tim Thomas will make his fifth straight start tonight. Thomas (25-18-5, 2.55 GAA, .919 Sv%) is 2-1-1 in his previous four games. The Leafs will most likely go with Vesa Toskala (32-23-6, 2.64 GAA, .907 Sv%) again tonight.

The referees for tonight’s game are Chris Lee and Rob Shick.

It sure seems like Bruins fans can never relax while the season winds down towards the playoffs. With the Eastern Conference now with seven teams looking to snag one of the last three spots in the top eight, the Bruins are in control of their own playoff fate.

The Bruins are hanging onto the eighth spot by a thread.

After taking one point in the home-and-home series against Montreal last week, the Bruins have dipped going 2-4-4 in their last ten games. The Philadelphia Flyers have leapfrogged over the Bruins by two points, and the Washington Capitals are nipping at the Bruins’ heels two points behind. The Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers are three points out, and the Toronto Maples Leafs, who the Bruins begin and home-and-home series with tonight, are four points out. (Take a look at how the Panthers, Capitals and Leafs have played since the trade deadline.)

The worst-case scenario: The Bruins get swept by the Leafs and the Leafs tie them with 84 points.

The best-case scenario: The Bruins take at least 3 of the 4 points to push their total to 87 points, and then focus on the last five games of the season.

Factors in each scenario are: Center Marc Savard (back) and defenseman Andrew Ference (leg) will miss tonight’s game in Toronto. Savard is also expected to miss Thursday’s game. Injuries affect every team in the league, as hockey fans know, but injuries to the Bruins’ key players couldn’t have come at a worst time.

Matt Lashoff was recalled from Providence.

Just thinking about the playoffs makes me as nervous as preparing for a final exam where I didn’t learn any of the material.

The last seven games are so unpredictable that it really could go either way. The Bruins can finish strong and head into the playoffs. They can squeak their way into the playoffs and get the 4-3-0 record needed to get in. Or they can flunk out for the rest of the season and work on their golf game early once again.

The fate lies in the team, and it gets started tonight in Toronto.

Beat the Habs!

I'll check in again soon.

I figured I should stop by and explain the lack of posting this month.

Aside from not wanting to post about losses (they’re less fun than wins), especially last night’s 4-1 loss in Ottawa (which I napped through anyway), I have had some other things going on.

First, my boiler died during some week. It had a nervous breakdown, but then it got fixed. Then it broke again, and fixed again. Then during a weekend when it was getting cleaned, a crack was discovered. So I was displaced for a bit, until I got the “okay” to use it. (I was going through apartment withdrawals.) Then while waiting for spring (ha!) to replace it with a new one, the crack turned into a hole, displacing me yet again, and currently right now. And in between mopping up puddles and running around my apartment in a winter coat, I only have my laptop to connect me, and I’m really getting tired of the laptop.

Second, there are things called school and work. Before the boiler went nutty, I started classes again. And work has been crazy with the Celtics doing so well, and the upcoming March Madness tournament. On top of that, I picked up waitressing too.

The Bruins season flew by for me and I really can’t believe there are only 12 games left. According to James Mirtle’s playoff push post, the Bruins need to go at least 6-6-0 over their last games to make the playoffs.

They can do it!

The Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow at the Garden, and the Philadelphia Flyers (currently one point ahead of) on Saturday.

Defenseman Matt Lashoff will be back up in Boston tomorrow after Bobby Allen’s back spasms returned at today’s practice. Zdeno Chara is still day-to-day with his “upper torso” injury. Claude Julien is going back to some of the lines he had during that six-game winning streak.

Patrice Bergeron, Andrew Alberts and Manny Fernandez will join their teammates for morning skates (non-contact), but not practices as of yet.

The Bruins are in Ottawa tonight to play against the Senators, who were on the West Coast last week.

Alex Auld will be starting for the third consecutive time. Zdeno Chara is not in Ottawa, but the blue line will get Aaron Ward back in the line-up tonight after being sidelined because of a bruised foot.

The Wicked One plans on blogging the game, or at least stopping in during each period for a recap.

Go Bruins!

The Bruins are playing against the Washington Capitals tonight. The Capitals acquired former Canadien goalie Cristobal Huet last week. The Bruins were losing 6-0 at the end of the first period.

Coincidence?

Tim Thomas started the game. The Capitals scored the first goal 32 seconds in. Thomas allowed three more goals and was yanked.

Alex Auld came into the game. Auld allowed two goals. Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal, followed by two more for a hat trick in the first period.

At the start of the second, Thomas was back in the net and Dennis Wideman scored to get the Bruins on the board.

Comeback coming?

Let's hope so or the Versus curse wins again.