By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
After a 2-1 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City, Boston Bruins Head Coach Jim Montgomery is making significant changes to the team’s top nine. Captain Brad Marchand will skate on the B’s top line alongside Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak, replacing Pavel Zacha. Marchand is still looking for his first goal of the season.
Charlie Coyle will remain the B’s second-line center. However, he has two new wingers. Max Jones will make his third appearance as a Bruin, playing left-wing, while Trent Frederic returns to the top six. Frederic has been held pointless in his last five contests, and tonight represents an opportunity for the former Wisconsin Badger to turn things around.
Rounding out the top nine, Pavel Zacha drops down to the third-line, where he will play left-wing. Matthew Poitras will center Zacha, and Morgan Geekie will join them on the right side. Geekie is searching for his first point of the season after setting a career-high last year with 39.
The Bruins’ fourth-line of Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, and Cole Koepke remains intact, and for good reason. Among forward lines with a minimum of 40 minutes of time on ice this season, their line ranks sixth league-wide in expected goals percentage at 68.1%. Finally, Justin Brazeau will come out of the lineup, having spent the last game on the second-line with Marchand and Coyle, while Riley Tufte is scratched for the second straight game.
On Defense, Hampus Lindholm returns to the top-pair alongside Charlie McAvoy. Nikita Zadorov joins Brandon Carlo on the second, while Mason Lohrei drops down to the third alongside Andrew Peeke. Parker Wotherspoon will be a healthy scratch, having only played once this season in a 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Puck drop for tonight’s contest is scheduled for 8:45 PM Eastern and will be broadcast on NESN.
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