BOSTON (CBS) — The Bruins currently rank 28th out of 30 teams in terms of goals allowed per game, but a major reinforcement may be ready to help improve the defense.

Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, who has missed the first five weeks of the season due to back surgery, is a possibility to return to game action Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Head coach Claude Julien said after Thursday’s morning skate that both Seidenberg and Torey Krug will be game-time decisions, adding that there is a “good possibility” for Seidenberg to make his season debut. Krug missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday for what the team termed as “maintenance days,” but he did participate in the morning skate on Thursday.

Seidenberg underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in late September. In Seidenberg’s absence, the Bruins have allowed 3.21 goals per game, and their penalty kill ranks dead last in the league at 70.4 percent.

On the flip side, the Bruins rank No. 1 in the NHL with a 33.3 percent success rate on the power play, and they rank third overall with 3.36 goals per game.

It stands to reason, then, that if the defense can improve, the 7-6-1 Bruins should be able to steady the ship and start to climb in the standings. The addition of a veteran like Seidenberg should certainly help in that regard.

Captain Zdeno Chara (24:49) and Krug (22:44) average the most time on ice among defensemen this season, followed by Kevan Miller (20:30), Adam McQuaid (18:52), Joe Morrow (15:59), Zach Trotman (15:37) and Colin Miller (15:19).