Clifton was scratched for the 12th time in 13 games in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Canadiens.
Clifton was the fill-in for Charlie McAvoy when the latter was suspended to begin the season. Since McAvoy returned, Clifton has played just once. Clifton has an assist, eight shots on net, 15 hits and seven blocked shots over seven outings, but he may not even be the preferred option to fill in if an injury takes out another Boston blueliner. Frederic Brunet is also on the roster, competing with Jonathan Aspirot and Mason Lohrei for third-pairing minutes.