BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston Bruins center Marc Savard, sidelined with a concussion for nearly two months, received medical clearance Tuesday to return to action for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"He has been cleared to play," Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said on the National Hockey League's website (NHL.com).
"I'll leave it up to (coach) Claude (Julien) as far as putting the lines together and who plays and doesn't play, but Marc is ready to go.
"We'll see how his conditioning goes. I know he's very anxious to play."
Savard has not played since being knocked unconscious by a vicious blindside hit from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke during a game on March 7.
The 32-year-old centre's return is welcome news for the Bruins, who scored just 206 goals this season, second fewest among the NHL's 30 teams.
Savard, who played in just 41 games this season due to the concussion and a broken foot, had 33 points but led the Bruins in scoring the three previous seasons.
The Bruins eliminated the Buffalo Sabres Monday, winning their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final 4-2, and will now meet either the Penguins or Philadelphia Flyers in the next round.
"He's an elite player," said Chiarelli. "He's been chomping at the bit to play.
"It's like a trade deadline acquisition. We're adding a very good player to our mix for the next series."
(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto; editing by Steve Ginsburg)
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