By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins struggled all season to find stable defensive pairings. Issues with injuries, performance, and surprises kept the back end in flux until recently. Since the Olympic break, the defense has stabilized, thanks in large part to Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei.
Looking back at the start of the season, the defensive sextet, head coach Marco Sturm trotted out against the Washington Capitals, which is almost unrecognizable compared to the one we’ve seen most recently. Charlie McAvoy anchored the top pairing with Lohrei, Lindholm and Andrew Peeke made up the middle pairing, and Nikita Zadorov and Henri Jokiharju made up the final twosome.
Much has changed since then. Jokiharju is now a consistent healthy scratch, Peeke has a new partner after some inconsistency, and Jonathan Aspirot’s emergence has allowed Sturm to experiment and solidify effective pairings.
The biggest issue this season has been finding a right-shot defenseman who can play alongside Lindholm. The answer, it appears, is staple two lefties together and hope for the best.
“Actually, Hampus was the guy who was really looking forward to playing with a guy like (Lohrei),” said Sturm following the team’s March 3rd victory. “There are a few hiccups once in a while, but other than that, they’ve been actually pretty good.”
Sturm continued, “It also helps when you like to play with each other. I think that’s just another good bonus.”
Lindholm and Lohrei, along with the rest of the Bruins, have every reason to be excited about their partnership. They have skated together for 18 consecutive games since Boston’s January 17th win over Chicago. In that span, the team is 10-4-4 and, as of this weekend, holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The question for the Boston Bruins has always been whether or not they could tease a more well-rounded defensive game out of Lohrei. According to his new partner, the Louisiana native is just scratching the surface of his potential.
“It’s fun for me, too, to play with a guy like that. I think we’ve been feeding off each other,” said the Swedish Olympian. “I think he’s taking some really good steps defensively. He’s a big, tall guy, a tall skater. I think he has the ability to be one of the best in the league if he keeps building on the defensive side of things, too, which I think he can learn from me. So it’s been fun so far.”
Over that 18-game span mentioned above, the duo has been on the ice for nine goals for and only seven against at even strength. In that same time, Lindholm has posted 1-7-8 and is a plus-4, while Lohrei has 3-2-5 and is a plus-5.
The offensive numbers may not stand out, but advanced stats make it obvious that Boston’s newest duo wins their shifts, tilts the ice, and remains a major asset to their group.
According to Moneypuck, of the 149 defensive pairs that have skated at least 210 minutes together, Lindholm and Lohrei rank 10th in expected goals percentage (57.2 percent), 20th in expected goals against/60 (2.08), and 31st in expected goals for/60 (2.78).
Among the seven different Bruins defensive pairings who have played that amount of time together, the duo ranks first in the following categories: expected goals percentage, expected goals for per 60, and expected goals against per 60. They’re also Boston’s best pairing when it comes to the following: shot attempt percentage (52.3 percent), shot attempts per 60 (60.04), and shot attempts against per 60 (54.71).
Lindholm has anchored Boston’s back end for years, consistently succeeding with whoever he is paired with (Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy most frequently). It is Lohrei’s performance, on his off side, that marks the most significant development for the Bruins.
“I remember myself when I came into the league, I think (Lohrei), and I are a little different players, but still similar,” said Lindholm. “So having that veteran (presence), I think I try to talk to him and help him out. He obviously has a ton of hockey in him.”
The Bruins are in a dogfight for one of the final few playoff spots in the East. With the schedule condensed and practice time limited, it’s going to be important for them to lean on their structure and bring their defensive game every night.
With the Lindholm-Lohrei pairing playing as well as it has, Boston has three solid twosomes that can be deployed in all kinds of situations. No matter how things unfold, it’s good to see the Bruins getting the best out of their most important players.
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