Not being an American, Canadian, Swede or Finn, Nikita Zadorov was on the outside looking in when it came to the 4 Nations Faceoff. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested in the tourney.

Zadorov was sitting in a Miami restaurant with his wife last Saturday when the US and Canada locked up in a battle for the ages. There were three fights in the first nine seconds, kicking off the Americans’ 3-1 victory.

That struck an emotional chord in the Bruins’ defenseman.

“I was a little bit (surprised) but I was sitting in a restaurant in Miami and I was watching on my phone and after the third fight, after (J.T.. Miller’s) fight, I had goose bumps and tears in my eyes. I was ready to go through the wall in the restaurant, that’s how pumped up I was,” said Zadorov after Saturday’s morning skate. “It was cool. That’s what hockey’s about. There are guys fighting for each other, they’re fighting for the flag, they’re fighting for their country. It’s great to watch. It’s a different feeling when you’re playing for your country outside of your club and I will never forget my times playing for my national team. It’s been one of best times of my life, for sure.”

Zadorov was a huge fan of the whole tournament.

“I loved it. I watched every game,” said Zadorov. “I think it was an unbelievable job by the NHL and NHLPA. They picked the right timing. That Saturday game was probably the best hockey I ever watched in my life, not just because of the fights but the quality of the hockey, the stakes, the positioning, the best-on-best. It’s fun. Now obviously we’ve got bring Russia back up there and have those three teams competing and we’ll see who’s best at it next time.”

It was back to work on Saturday for Zadorov and the rest of the Bruins, including the depleted defense corps. They are without Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm for the foreseeable future. Mason Lohrei was also questionable as of the morning for Saturday’s game due to an illness.

That should mean elevated minutes for someone like Zadorov. Bring it on, he said.

“Somebody on the back end has to step up and fill those minutes and roles. Obviously, we have no time to get going. We have to be ready to play right away. We’ve got 25 games left. There’s a lot of teams fighting for playoff position in our conference. Every game is a playoff game for us,” said Zadorov.

“I love pressure. I’m enjoying it. I can play 30 minutes, I can play 20 minutes, whatever they want from me. You go out there, you enjoy the game, you enjoy the challenge. You can’t be afraid, you can’t be nervous. Yeah, you can be nervous before the game but then you go out there and compete and enjoy the game, for sure.”

Zadorov has also been practicing on the second power-play unit.

“I’m ready whenever they need me,” he said. “It’s exciting. A new challenge for sure.”…

With the injuries, Michael Callahan is another defenseman who could be relied upon more down the stretch. A no-frills defensive defenseman, the Franklin native has played eight games and is minus-2 since being called up from Providence.

“I’ve seen good things from Cally. One thing that comes to mind when I watch him play is he defends. He’s got a purpose to his game as far as how he defends,” said interim coach Joe Sacco on Friday. “We were working on the power play today and I liked his penalty killing today. I thought he did a good job with his stick position and his pressure reads were good. Maybe there’s an opportunity when he’s in to grab more time on the penalty kill and alleviate some of the pressure on (other players). He’s going to have to now, especially with Charlie being out right now and Lindy not available. But I think there’s a predictability factor with Cally. You know what you get. The one thing he’s got to continue to work on in this league is being able to handle pressure, when you’re getting forechecked or coming out of the defensive zone. Having the ability to make those plays under pressure is difficult.”

Callahan said the biggest adjustment from the AHL is simply dealing with the schedule and travel of the NHL. But he’s been getting more comfortable each day. With that comfort comes confidence to deal with the speed with which pressure comes at a D-man at this level.

“I wouldn’t say it’s too much different. I think at the end of the day it’s all about positioning at any level, just being in position to react to whatever ends up happening on the ice,” said Callahan. “Obviously, the puck moves a bit quicker at this level. I wouldn’t say the foot speed is that much different. But I’m just always focused on being in position to react to whatever comes, whether that be breakouts or defending the rush. That’s what I’m focused on.”

Callahan appreciates the opportunity that is now in front of him.

“I’m really excited. Circumstances are circumstances and I wish those (injured) guys the best obviously. It sucks,” said Callahan. “But it’s a huge opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward down the stretch here to keep showing what I can do and hopefully keep up with the team and try and make a playoff push.”…

Riley Tufte, called up from Providence during the break, was expected to see his first NHL action since November 16. In his first three games with Boston this year, he had no points and was minus-3.