The Bruins’ Gregory Campbell said he was none the worse for wear after returning to the lineup Monday despite still recovering from a fractured foot that forced him to miss three games.
“It’s going to take a while,’’ said Campbell. “Broken bones tend to take four weeks probably to totally heal, but for now it’s not an issue, it’s not bothering me.’’
Campbell is familiar with tonight’s opponents, the Florida Panthers. He was drafted by the Panthers in the third round (67th overall) in 2002 and played 363 games with Florida before being traded to Boston prior to last season. He said he’s happy about the team’s turnaround.
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“They’ve had a lot of high draft picks,’’ said Campbell. “[General manager Dale Tallon] had success in Chicago and he’s a smart hockey man. He made the right moves. Florida is not a bad place to play. Obviously, it’s not a hockey market like Boston is or some of the teams up north, but they work hard and I hear good things about their coach [Kevin Dineen].
“It’s nice to see they’re doing well. It’s tough to sell the game down there because not a lot of people are originally from Florida. If they win, which they’re doing now, you’re always going to attract fans. I know that organization works really hard to put people in the stands and I think the easiest way to do that is to win.’’
The Bruins last played the Panthers Dec. 8, losing 2-0. Since then, Boston has rattled off five straight victories.
“I think they’re catching a lot of teams by surprise,’’ said Campbell. “A lot of teams might not have taken them seriously. When we played them, they played a smart road game.’’