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Bruins Recall Mason Lohrei With Andrew Peeke Out

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The Boston Bruins have recalled rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei from the Providence Bruins (Twitter link). This move comes after head coach Jim Montgomery designated defender Andrew Peeke as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury suffered in Game Two, shares Joe Haggerty of the Boston Sports Journal (Twitter link). Peeke left Game Two with seven minutes left in the second period after blocking a Tyler Bertuzzi shot with his left hand. Peeke isn’t expected to travel with the team when they head to Toronto for Game Three and Four.

Despite Lohrei’s recall, it’s Parker Wotherspoon who is expected to gain a role in Peeke’s absence. Wotherspoon played in half of Boston’s games this season, recording eight assists and 31 points. The matches brought his career totals to nine assists in 53 career games, though the 26-year-old defender is still searching for his first goal. He’ll be stepping into his first career Stanley Cup Playoff game if he does fill in for Peeke.

Lohrei will instead provide exciting depth for Boston, having scored four goals and 13 points in the first 41 games of his NHL career this season. He added 16 points in 21 AHL games. The flashy 23-year-old is off to a hot start in his first full year of professional hockey and even got a glimpse of pro playoffs when he appeared in three Calder Cup Playoff games last season. He’ll join Wotherspoon and Derek Forbort as Boston’s extra defenders, with the latter being recalled from a conditioning stint yesterday. Forbort has the most experience of the trio, having played in 496 regular-season games and 32 playoff games across his nine-year NHL career.

The trio will compete for Peeke’s third-pair role on the blue line. The Trade Deadline acquisition played in 17 minutes of ice time in Game One but was limited to just 10 minutes in Game Two as a result of his injury. He’s playing in the first Stanley Cup Playoff games of his career as well, still searching for his first postseason point. Peeke had a strong stint in Boston’s last 15 games of the season, where he looked entirely the part of the stout defender Boston wanted at the Deadline. The Bruins will have a few options to replace him over the next two games, though making the wrong decision could prove costly against a daunting Maple Leafs offense.

Charlie McAvoy Out Day-To-Day

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Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic is reporting that Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. While very little information is available with regards to the injury, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery did tell the media that McAvoy does not have a head injury.

McAvoy was unable to finish the Bruins’ game last night against the Buffalo Sabres after he suffered an injury just over a minute into the third period of their 3-1 loss. Very few details were available after the game other than that he had an upper-body injury, and the club didn’t know the extent of it.

McAvoy is the Bruins defensive leader in many statistical categories and would create a massive hole if he is sidelined for any length of time. The Bruins are already without the services of defenseman Derek Forbort, who was placed on LTIR yesterday, and would likely have to rely on someone like Ian Mitchell to enter the lineup in McAvoy’s absence.

McAvoy has been nearly a point-a-game player this season with three goals and 14 assists in 21 games thus far while averaging over 24 minutes a night of ice time. His average ice time is almost a minute higher than his career average and it appears that it may be wearing on the 25-year-old. McAvoy has been a minus player in nine of his last 10 games and is a combined -11 during that time.

Now plus/minus doesn’t tell the whole story, but it is certainly an alarming indicator that McAvoy is slumping. In those ten games, McAvoy does have six assists, but after starting the season with 11 points in 11 games, he has certainly slowed down in recent weeks.

Afternoon Notes: Mantha, Grzelcyk, Avalanche

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NHL.com writer Tom Gulitti tweeted today that Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha suffered a ruptured ear drum when an Evgeny Kuznetsov shot bounced off a defender’s stick and hit Mantha in the ear. The injury happened November 8th in a game against the Florida Panthers and led to the 29-year-old being placed on the injured reserve.

Mantha reportedly lost hearing in that ear for six days and has only now started to get it back. He reported feeling dizziness initially, but according to Tarik El-Bashir, he should be well enough to play on Saturday when he is eligible to come off the IR.

Mantha has three goals and an assist in ten games this season with the Capitals and has been a healthy scratch at times as he hasn’t been able to find his game in Washington. He had two of his goals in the Panthers game when he suffered the injury but was knocked out of the game before he could complete the hat trick.

In other notes:

  • Boston Globe writer Conor Ryan is reporting that Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that he expects defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to be cleared to return to the Bruins lineup by this Saturday. The 29-year-old has been out of the lineup since October 30th when he suffered an upper-body injury in an overtime win against the Florida Panthers. Grzelcyk played just 3:29 in that game and left during the third period of the win. The native of Charlestown, Massachusetts has dressed in nine games this season and has a single assist but has looked off his game when in the lineup. His average ice time is down, as are many of his defensive numbers which could lead one to speculate if he was dealing with a nagging injury prior to sitting out these past few weeks.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they’ve essentially reversed yesterday’s roster moves. The Avalanche sent Sam Malinski and Caleb Jones to the Colorado Eagles yesterday and today decided to recall both players. No word yet on why Colorado opted to change course, but both players are back on the Avalanche’s NHL roster as of this morning. Jones has an assist in his one NHL game this year while Malinski is pointless in one game.

Bruins Notes: Top Six, Chiasson, Frederic, Assistant Coach Vacancy

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Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery sat down for an interview with Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald that was published early this morning, being quite forthcoming about quite a few subjects of note for Bruins fans. Perhaps most impactful, at least in the short term, was that Montgomery has essentially decided what the team’s first and second forward lines will look like entering the season.

It’s no easy task – the team’s loss of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci has been their biggest story of the offseason, along with other solid complementary scorers such as last year’s trade deadline acquisition, Tyler Bertuzzi. Montgomery believes “everything else is going to be a work in progress” as training camp plays out, but he expects to spread out the team’s two remaining stars, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, on different lines. He plans on keeping the duo of Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha together, a partnership that helped elevate the 26-year-old Zacha to a career-high 21 goals and 57 points last season. They’ll likely be flanked by veteran free agent signing James van Riemsdyk on the left wing. Marchand, on the other hand, will lead the team’s de facto second line with Charlie Coyle at center and Jake DeBrusk at right wing.

Other thoughts on the Bruins from Montgomery:

  • Alex Chiasson may be a member of the Bruins on a tryout basis only, but it seems Montgomery has already penciled in the 32-year-old as a net-front presence on the team’s second power-play unit. “I thought Detroit’s power play became extremely tough to check the last two times we played them when he was at the net front,” Montgomery told Conroy. “So there’s a niche that he could possibly grab a hold of for our team.” Chiasson landed an NHL contract with Detroit at last season’s trade deadline after spending the year on an AHL contract with their affiliate in Grand Rapids. He recorded six goals and nine points in 20 games down the stretch of the regular season, with seven of those nine points coming on the power play.
  • Montgomery also doesn’t anticipate moving forward Trent Frederic to center as some anticipated, instead keeping him on the right wing. He believes Frederic’s two-way game is most effective on the wing, and they’ll need him to contribute as much as he can in a bottom-six secondary role. That means free agent signing Morgan Geekie could be in line to assume the team’s third-line center role behind Zacha and Coyle after averaging just 10:27 per game for the Seattle Kraken last season.
  • Lastly, Montgomery confirmed the team plans to replace former assistant coach John Gruden before the season starts, although in a different role. Gruden left after just one season with the Bruins to serve as head coach for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies next season. Gruden’s previous responsibilities, managing the defense and the penalty kill, will be delegated to the Bruins’ remaining two assistants, Chris Kelly and Joe Sacco. Montgomery says the team’s hire to replace Gruden will be more development-focused and won’t be on the bench during games.

2023 Jack Adams Award Finalists Announced

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The 2023 finalists for the Jack Adams Award, presented to the coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success” and voted on by the NHL Broadcasters Association, were announced tonight.

The finalists are Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken, Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils, and Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins.

Of the three finalists, only Ruff has already won the award earlier in his career. Ruff won it in 2006 on the back of an impressive 52-win campaign. In his third season as the Devils’ bench boss, Ruff has guided a young team out of their rebuilding phase and into Stanley Cup contention. Under his guidance, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have emerged as superstar talents and the Devils won their first playoff series since their 2011-12 run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Hakstol, a longtime college hockey coach at the University of North Dakota, is a finalist thanks to a stellar second season behind the bench of the expansion Seattle Kraken.

While Seattle did not enjoy the type of instant success the Vegas Golden Knights had in their first season, 2022-23 has been more kind to Hakstol’s squad.

The former Philadelphia Flyers coach has overseen the rise of one of the NHL’s deepest teams and led them to an upset victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions in their first-ever playoff series.

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant won the Jack Adams for his work managing the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, and one of the most important factors leading to his win was to just how many players reached new heights in their careers with Gallant as head coach.

Hakstol has overseen similar career elevations in Seattle, with players such as Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, Daniel Sprong, and Eeli Tolvanen authoring career-best years in 2022-23. Now, with a chance to win a Stanley Cup for Seattle, Hakstol has a chance to take home some individual hardware as well.

Although Ruff and Hakstol are both exceptionally qualified candidates for the award, the favorite has to be Montgomery, the Bruins’ head coach. Despite the disappointment of the Bruins’ first-round playoff exit, Montgomery’s work with the Bruins is undeniably worthy of recognition. He managed the veteran team to the winningest regular season in NHL history, breaking numerous records en route to the Presidents’ Trophy.

Making that success even more impressive is the fact that this year was Montgomery’s first behind the bench in Boston. He took on the challenge of filling 2020 Jack Adams Award winner Bruce Cassidy’s shoes and delivered an all-time great regular season.

Although a Stanley Cup would undoubtedly have been the more desirable reward for his efforts this season, Montgomery nonetheless is in a prime position to take home one of the highest individual honors an NHL coach can receive.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Boston Bruins Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí

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Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now is reporting that it appears as though center Patrice Bergeron will be dressing in game five for the Boston Bruins. Bergeron has been sidelined for all four of Boston’s first round games against the Florida Panthers after sustaining an injury in the regular season finale against the Montreal Canadiens.

Yesterday both head coach Jim Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney had stated that Bergeron would likely return to practice Tuesday morning. Bergeron did in fact skate with the team today and led the stretching. After practice he said that he didn’t foresee any issues keeping him from playing in his first game of the playoffs.

Boston will have an opportunity on Wednesday to eliminate the Florida Panthers after taking both games three and four in Florida. The Bruins will return home with an opportunity to punch their ticket to a second-round matchup with either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In other Boston Bruins notes:

  • While it appears that Bergeron will be returning, Jimmy Murphy tweeted that head coach Jim Montgomery told the media that David Krejčí will be unavailable for game five. Krejčí dressed for the first two games of the series in Boston, but then was a late scratch for game three and hasn’t dressed since. He struggled mightily in game two of the series going -3 and getting beat up in the faceoff circle. Not much is known about Krejčí’s injury and Boston has been tight lipped about it other than to offer updates on his status. NHL.com’s Eric Russo writes that Don Sweeney has said that Krejčí is slated to undergo further testing and an update could come after the team hears from the doctors.

Bruins Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí, Steen

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Conor Ryan of Boston.com tweeted out today that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told the media that Patrice Bergeron will skate with the Bruins tomorrow. Bergeron hasn’t dressed for Boston in these playoffs after suffering an injury in the team’s season finale against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite his absence, the team has jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers. Bergeron has taken more of an advisor role in the first four games of the series but would certainly welcome the opportunity to return to his main role of centering Boston’s first line.

In a separate interview with head coach Jim Montgomery, the first year Bruins head coach hinted that if Bergeron is cleared to play, he would dress in game 5. The Sports Hub writer Ty Anderson tweeted that the if Bergeron was ready to go, he would play and the Bruins wouldn’t prioritize rest, even with a two-game series lead.

Bergeron would bring a wealth of big game experience back into the Bruins lineup should he be cleared to play in game five. Not only that, but Boston would be getting back one of the best two-way centers in the game at a time when the team is dealing with multiple injuries to other key players.

In other Boston Bruins notes:

  • Conor Ryan also tweeted that Don Sweeney doesn’t think David Krejčí will be able to skate with the Bruins tomorrow. Sweeney added that the center was undergoing further testing, which doesn’t point to an imminent return for the 36-year-old. Krejčí is dealing with an upper body injury, although not much more is known about the ailment. He played in the first two games in this series, notching a single assist, but Krejčí struggled badly in game two of the series going -3 in 19:26 of ice time and winning just 42% of the faceoffs he took.
  • The Boston Bruins also announced that they’ve assigned Oskar Steen to Providence of the AHL. The 25-year-old Swede skated in just three games for the Bruins this season, notching a single goal. He hasn’t dressed in any of the Bruins four postseason games against the Florida Panthers. Steen looked like a possible candidate to secure a role in Boston’s bottom six this season, but with the depth in the Bruins forward rank, the numbers game appears to have pushed Steen back into the minors. Steen has been a solid but unspectacular option for Providence this season, putting up 14 goals and 31 points in 64 games.

Patrice Bergeron Unlikely To Return Until Game Five

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Boston Globe reporter Matt Porter tweeted out this morning that Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron likely won’t return until game five in their best of seven series against the Florida Panthers. This tweet comes from a quote from Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. Bergeron also did not travel with the team to Florida and has not dressed in any of the first two games of the series.

Bergeron was hurt in the Bruins regular season finale against the Montreal Canadiens. While much has been made of the decision to dress so many regulars in a meaningless game, it was apparently something that Bergeron wanted to do in what could have been his final NHL game in his home province. Bergeron had been resting the week prior to the game in Montreal and was also hoping to ramp up for the playoffs.

The Bruins desperately need Bergeron to return, the 37-year-old dressed in 78 games this season and had 27 goals and 58 points. He was a force for the President’s Trophy winners throughout the season and his absence in the series with the Panthers has made Boston look beatable for the first time all season. Boston split the first two games of their series with Florida and now head into game three tied 1-1.

Porter also tweeted out the Bruins line rushes from practice this morning and it appears as though Charlie Coyle will be taking Bergeron’s spot on the first line. While Coyle is a capable NHLer, he is a sizable downgrade from one of the best two-way centers in the league. Coyle had 45 points in 82 games this season but spent most of the year playing lower in the lineup. In game three Coyle could be tasked with taking on Florida’s top unit.

NHL Announces Coaches For 2023 All-Star Game

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The fan vote for the final player selections is still ongoing, but the NHL has finalized who will be behind the bench at the 2023 All-Star Game in Florida next month. Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour will be leading the Metropolitan, Boston Bruins bench boss Jim Montgomery leads the Atlantic, Peter DeBoer of the Dallas Stars will be running the Central, and Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights will be steering the Pacific.

The Hurricanes, Bruins, Stars, and Golden Knights currently lead their respective divisions, though it’s a close race in three of them. Only the Bruins have a substantial lead, with their 32-4-4 record pacing the entire NHL.

Interestingly enough, three of the four coaches named were involved in something of an employment carousel this offseason. Cassidy was fired by Boston and eventually took the job in Vegas after they dismissed DeBoer. DeBoer took a job in Dallas, one that had only been filled by Rick Bowness after Montgomery’s dismissal in 2020. Montgomery in turn took over in Boston, which gave him another chance as an NHL head coach.

Brind’Amour is the tenured professor of the bunch, taking over as head coach of the Hurricanes in 2018. He won the Jack Adams in 2021, and has an overall record of 199-95-35, plus four playoff series wins. It’s been an impressive transition from player to assistant to head coach for Brind’Amour, who basically never stopped working for the Hurricanes after arriving in 2000. He is reprising his role as head coach of the Metro, after being their last season.

The selections show just how quickly the NHL coaching wheel turns, with Cassidy and DeBoer both appearing at this game with their previous teams. DeBoer has actually gone with three in a row, appearing as the head coach of the Pacific in 2017 with the Sharks as well.

The final player selections will be announced on January 19, and the skills competition kicks off February 3.

NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters

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According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.

Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.

The initial rosters for each division are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)

Central Division

Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)

Pacific Division

Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)

The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.

More to come…

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