Stuart

WILMINGTON, Mass. – His chin so closely resembles an anvil, you expect it to weigh as much as an object that could flatten Wile E. Coyote.

You’d also expect that Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart would have a problem keeping his chin up regardless of how things are going.

Today, two days removed from his bittersweet return to the lineup and one day before Game 5 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal series with Philadelphia, the veteran blueliner was trying to raise his head and look forward to better days on the ice.

“I’m just looking to improve. I was disappointed with how I played,” said Stuart, whose massive jaw was hanging real low in the dressing room after the Bruins dropped Game 4 of the series 5-4 in overtime Friday night. “But I’ve got to forget about it. We’ve got a big game tomorrow and I had a nice skate out there in practice today and I’m feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago. So I’m excited to play.”

Stuart was excited to play Friday, as well. He hadn’t been in game action since April 1 because of a finger infection that chased him from Toronto to Boston for surgery April 3. Weeks of off-ice workouts and skating finally paid off with a spot on Boston’s third pair against the Flyers, but then disaster struck. In just 9:46 of ice time, Stuart was a minus-2. One goal even deflected off him and past goaltender Tuukka Rask. He didn’t get off the bench in overtime.

Although he’d thought he was ready to be thrown in the playoff fire, Stuart found out the hard way he wasn’t. He admitted as much after the game and reiterated that feeling today.

“It was a little different, actually,” said Stuart, who came back from two injuries during the regular season. “I felt like I was crashing a party almost. I thought my emotional level would just be there; it’s the playoffs. It definitely is a different situation. The intensity level is way, way up and the speed even seems a little bit faster. But I think got better as the game went on and I think I’ll be up to speed tomorrow.”

Obviously, Stuart both Friday and today was being way too hard on himself. No one expected him to be a huge difference-maker in his first game in a month. His play didn’t sour his teammates’ opinion of him either. Winger Milan Lucic, who’s just now hitting his stride after returning from his second major injury of the season, sympathizes with Stuart’s plight.

“It is tough. He’s been out on three separate occasions going to down with some tough injuries,” said Lucic. “You can’t expect him to jump in out of the middle of nowhere in the middle of a playoff series – and not even just a playoff series, the second round – where the level of hockey is up just another notch. I felt like he did a pretty good job coming in and playing, playing a pretty strong role. I only expect him to get better.”

When told about his teammates’ support, Stuart continued to be his own “harshest critic” and someone that can’t wait to take the ice at TD Garden for Game 5. If he gets his emotional level up higher and can stick that anvil-sized chin into a play or two early on, then he should be able to make a more positive impact in the Bruins’ potential series-clincher.