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BOSTON — With Adam McQuaid still listed as day-to-day, it looks like fellow defenseman “Sheriff” Shane Hnidy will suit up in place of McQuaid as the Bruins and Flyers enter Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series tonight at the TD Garden.

If that’s the case then Hnidy will be playing in his second game this postseason and his first since Game 2 of the Canadiens series back in April. He replaced Zdeno Chara — who was suffering from dehydration at the time — in that contest and dropped the gloves with Habs defenseman James Wisniewski. That proved to be the only highlight of his night as the veteran saw only 4 minutes and 13 seconds of ice time in the Bruins’ 3-1 loss.

A few weeks later, head coach Claude Julien reacted similarly when asked about utilizing the “Sheriff” in tonight’s contest.

“I think the same question was asked the first game he played in the playoffs and I am going to answer the same thing. He has got experience and we’re going to utilize him to where we see fit,” the Bruins bench boss stated. “You watch a player play and if he’s showing signs of a guy doing a great job then you give him a little bit more ice time. And no matter what it’s one of those situations where our guys are able to handle a lot of minutes…So I don’t think there is much that is going to change for us tonight in regards to that.”

Obviously nothing is set in stone yet regarding the Bruins’ sixth defensemen tonight, but Hnidy is treating his potential appearance with the same mindset he’s had this postseason.

“[I’m treating it] the same as any other game,” Hnidy said. “It’s the same. I prepare to play and I never know what is going to happen so my preparation doesn’t change until I get ready for the game both physically and mentally.”