It's been quite a first half for Boston, but now comes some of that ol' adversity we hear so much about.

After losing defenceman Aaron Ward Tuesday night in a 3-1 win over the Habs (extending the Bruins' lead in the Northeast Division to 12 points), Boston leads the NHL in most players in the infirmary with eight:

Manny Fernandez rounds out this group with what his coach is calling "general soreness."

So he'll be back.

Sturm is finished for the season, and I imagine it's likely Bergeron is, too. Against Montreal, Chara led the way with 32 minutes ice time (!), followed by Wideman with 31, Savard with 21:22 and Krejci at just more than 20.

Now on the roster are a host of callups, from Byron Bitz to Martins Karsums and Martin St. Pierre. None of the three topped 10 minutes, as Claude Julien leaned heavily on his stars.

It'll be pretty interesting to see how long they can sustain their incredible season being down so many bodies. Lucic and Ference are expected back soon.