Bruins Recall Alex Khokhlachev From Providence; Pastrnak Absent From Morning Skate

By Matt Dolloff (@mattdolloff)

BOSTON (CBS) -- Bruins GM Don Sweeney announced Tuesday morning that the team has recalled winger Alex Khokhlachev from the Providence Bruins.

The 22-year-old Khokhlachev is tied for the the AHL lead with 4 goals and 13 points in 10 games. He joins the Bruins' surprisingly potent offense, which currently leads the NHL with 3.9 goals per game.

In a possibly related story, David Pastrnak was the only Bruin missing from Monday's morning skate. The 19-year-old has struggled in recent weeks, with just one goal and a -2 rating in his last 8 games. Khokhlachev was spotted at the Bruins' morning skate on a line with David Krejci and Loui Eriksson.

While it has not yet been confirmed, it appears that Khokhlachev will get an opportunity to show the Bruins what he can do in a top-six role. "Koko" has been vocal in the past about his desire to get a chance to play for the Bruins and get out of the minor leagues, where he is dominating this season. So he better bring his A-game now that he is finally getting his chance.

Pastrnak's absence from Monday's morning skate does not mean that he is going to have a stint in Providence; he is still clearly an NHL-caliber winger and could merely be a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars. But for now, it appears Khokhlachev is getting an audition to take his place on the top line.

UPDATE (11:08 AM): Coach Claude Julien confirmed that Pastrnak will need some time off to recover from taking a puck off his foot against the Arizona Coyotes. He is expected to miss a couple of games.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read more from Matt here. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

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