Injured Bruins players ‘real close’ to returning.

Boston — Potential players for Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche included Matt Poitras and Brandon Carlo. However, the Boston Bruins’ 5-2 victory at TD Garden came without both players.

Carlo did not skate on the ice on Thursday during warmups, but Poitras did. After the game, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery remarked, “was just precautionary.” They are rather near. completing the necessary boxes.

Carlo is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury suffered during the Bruins’ loss to the Avalanche during their four-game road trip earlier this month. The defenseman was in the midst of his best injury before getting injured.

Once he returns, the Bruins will need to make a roster move. Poitras was also injured on the road trip against the Arizona Coyotes when the rookie initiated a hit on Sean Durzi. He absorbed most of the contact and left the ice favoring his shoulder.

The return of Linus Ullmark to the bench on Thursday helped the Bruins maintain their improving health. Ullmark needed assistance off the field due to a lower-body injury, so the goaltender filled in for Jeremy Swayman. Derek Forbort also went back to practice, but he will need a bit longer to get off long-term injured reserve while he heals from a lower-body injury. Boston will host the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden on Saturday night for a 7 p.m. EST puck drop to resume its homestand.

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