Calder Trophy candidate Brandon Carlo is 20 years younger than Boston captain Zdeno Chara, but old enough to play on the Bruins’ top defensive pairing with Chara. As usual, the twosome logged the most minutes for Boston in Sunday’s game against the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.
The Colorado Springs-raised Carlo, 19, is among the handful of NHL teenagers playing giant roles for their teams. But different from Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Carlo is a surprise.
Carlo, who played midget hockey for the Colorado Thunderbirds, wasn’t a first-round draft pick. He was selected early in the second round (No. 37 overall) in 2015 — between a three-year stint with major-junior’s Tri-City Americans. At the end of last season, the 6-foot-5 Carlo played seven games for the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins — but he might never play in the minors again.
Carlo played 20:37 against the Avs, second most on the team behind Chara’s 24:09.
“I watched some games in this building growing up, so being across the ice from some of those guys is a pretty cool experience,” Carlo said after the game.
Duchene scratched. Avalanche first-line center and leading scorer Matt Duchene was scratched with a head injury, forcing him to miss his first game of the season and just seventh since the beginning of 2014-15. Duchene’s right winger, Nathan MacKinnon, was moved to center and Gabe Landeskog played left wing on that line with rookie Mikko Rantanen.
Greer debut. Forward A.J. Greer, who was selected two picks after Carlo in the 2015 draft, made his NHL debut after being recalled from San Antonio of the AHL on Saturday. Injuries to Duchene and winger Blake Comeau (groin) forced the Avs to recall a forward, and the 19-year-old Greer is San Antonio’s leading scorer.
Footnotes. Avs defensman Patrick Wiercioch was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. … Former University of Denver star Danton Heinen, who led the Pioneers in scoring last season, began the year with Boston but was assigned to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League on Nov. 2. He played seven games with the NHL Bruins, including opening night at Columbus.
