Entering their first round matchup against an Ottawa Senators team that won all four regular season meetings, the Bruins could have easily caved in their first two matchups at the Canadian capital.

Coming away with a split in front of a hostile crowd was a tall task in and of itself. It got even taller after the injury bug carried over from the last two regular season contests.

Losing the likes of Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug entering Game 1 forced Don Sweeney’s hand. First came the burning of Charlie McAvoy’s first year of his entry-level contract. The good news: the former Boston University standout has more than held his own after being thrown into the fire for his first two postseason games.

That might have been the only good news for the Bruins blue-line during the first two games, however. As the injury bug got the best of Colin Miller and Adam McQuaid in Games 1 and 2, the Bruins blue-line got taxed and fatigued after playing with five defensemen for a fourth straight night. A prime example of that was seen on Zdeno Chara’s delay of game penalty with 12.5 ticks in regulation during Game 2 – a game where the Bruins blew a 3-1 lead and lost just 1:59 into overtime on Dion Phaneuf’s blast from the point.

As tough as their Game 2 loss was, the Bruins could’ve been in a much worse situation entering Game 3 in their first postseason game at TD Garden since their Game 7 loss to the hated Canadiens on May 14, 2014.

“There have been some tight games and it’s been playoff hockey like you expect. So we’re going to see more of that,” said Patrice Bergeron following the B’s morning skate on Monday. “We just have to go out there and I guess, you know, take care of business every time we step on the ice.”

Entering Game 3, the Bruins will likely have to take care of business now with four of their top six regular blueliners.

With the ever-growing list of Bruins injuries on the blue-line, Don Sweeney recalled Tommy Cross (pictured above) and Matt Grzelcyk on an emergency basis. (Photo by Angela Spagna, Bruins Daily)

Miller returned to the ice this morning and is a game-time decision. McQuaid (upper-body) will be out for Game 3. Tommy Cross and Matt Grzelcyk were both recalled from Providence on an emergency basis. During the morning skate, Cross, who has just three games of NHL experience – all coming during the 2015-16 season – skated with John-Michael Liles on the third defensive pairing.

Like McAvoy – and Joe Morrow replacing Miller in Game 2 – interim coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached Cross down in Providence for four seasons, has no qualms about the former Boston College captain making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

“You know what you get with Tommy,” Cassidy said about the P-Bruins captain, who posted AHL career highs in every major offensive category with 35 points on 12 goals and 23 assists in 2016-17. “He’s a hard nose guy and he moves the puck [well]. This year’s offensive numbers, he had career highs down there, so he’s playing a little more on the power play.”

“We’ve seen guys go in recently for us that have done well. He’s played all year [in Providence], and, you know, no significant injuries, so he’s in game mode – not NHL, but American Hockey League,” Cassidy added about Cross’ professional hockey experience. “Joe [Morrow] came in and played well for us the other night, Charlie [McAvoy] came out of college in Providence and out of college, so he wouldn’t be the first guy to go in that we’ve asked to play significant minutes and get the job done. So if he’s called upon, that’s what we’d expect. Tommy is a good pro. He’s a captain down there and he’ll give us everything he’s got.”

Cross and Noel Acciari (likely good to go for Game 3 following an upper-body injury) would be the 10th and 11th Bruins to make their postseason debut if they are in the lineup this evening. There is also hope that noted playoff performer David Krejci could be good to go after missing the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury.

For a team coming away with a split under difficult circumstances, the Bruins can use some luck and another healthy body in the lineup for Game 3 – especially with Sens defenseman Mark Borowiecki (day to day, lower body) out for Monday’s contest.

“I felt like the guys played well enough to win both games,” Krejci said about watching the Bruins’ performance from high above rinkside for the first two games of the series. “In the playoffs, you have to move on and get ready for the next one. I feel like we’re in a good position 1-1 playing two games at home. So we just have to take care of business tonight and go from there.”