Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery is switching things up on the team’s defense ahead of Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Mason Lohrei, who was recalled from the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Tuesday, is expected to make his postseason debut at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. During Wednesday’s morning skate, Lohrei skated alongside Charlie McAvoy on Boston’s top defensive pairing.
Lohrei, a 6-foot-5, 211-pound defenseman, has appeared in 41 games with Boston this season, scoring four goals and posting 13 total points. He is known for his ability to move the puck and make plays in the offensive zone, but he has also been working on improving his defensive play.
“I know what they expect and I’ve been around all year,” Lohrei said of the message from the coaching staff going into Game 3. “Go out there, try to compete, and do that.”
With Andrew Peeke, a dependable stay-at-home defenseman and penalty kill asset, out with an injury sustained in Game 2, Lohrei will be tasked with replicating some of those taxing D-zone responsibilities further down on the depth chart.
Lohrei’s shot-ready approach and passing capabilities could also come in handy for a Bruins team that had its transition game halted throughout Monday’s Game 2 loss.
“His poise with the puck, his ability to find middle ice, his ability to make plays in the offensive zone is something that we’re going to possibly look at for next game,” Montgomery said of Lohrei on Tuesday. “Also his willingness to go back for pucks is a strength.”
Lohrei stands as one of Boston’s most coveted prospects, given his playmaking ability from the blue line and his physical frame. He has been working on improving his defensive play, especially since the start of the 2023-24 season.
“Definitely just defensively, being more physical, boxing out,” Lohrei said of his growth this season. “Playing the rush, just being responsible defensively. And I mean, I think it’s not a super glorified area of the game but I’m pretty confident in the strides that I’ve made this year and only going to try and keep getting better at that.”
Elsewhere across Boston’s lineup, James van Riemsdyk skated on Boston’s top power-play unit during Wednesday’s morning skate. The 34-year-old forward gave Boston a significant scoring boost early in the 2023-24 season, scoring 37 points over his first 51 games with the team. But the veteran’s scoring cratered in the second half, with just one point and no goals over his last 20 games.
“We’ve talked about it a lot of times, I mean, internally,” Montgomery said of how van Riemsdyk has handled being in and out of the lineup. “Him and [Kevin] Shattenkirk have been great. They’re true pros. Like every day, [they] come to work, come to get better. It’s not an easy situation, but he’s been great.”
