The Boston Bruins look to rebound from Saturday’s loss to the New York Islanders and pick up important points in an Atlantic Division matchup.
The Boston Bruins are set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first of two times in the next four days, this time at Scotiabank Arena at 7 p.m. on Monday.
The Bruins are coming off arguably their worst loss of the season, a 5-1 drubbing by the New York Islanders. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery believes the team needs to get back to its “checking habits.”
“It’s probably slipped since the All-Star break, and it’s a combination of us not delivering the message well enough and players not executing,” Montgomery told reporters in Toronto on Monday.
Monday marks the third matchup between the two Atlantic Division rivals this season. Boston won the first two: a 3-2 shootout win at TD Garden on Nov. 2 and a 4-3 overtime win in Toronto on Dec. 2.
After exiting the Islanders’ loss with a lower-body injury, Pavel Zacha participated in the Bruins’ morning skate but was the extra skater in line rushes, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Montgomery said Zacha will be a “game-time decision.”
While Zacha returned to the ice, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk reportedly went to the locker room early after taking a stick to the face, but Montgomery said there is no further issue and he should be ready to play.
Derek Forbort will be coming out of the lineup, while Justin Brazeau will be back in. The rest of the lineup changes will be determined before puck drop, according to Montgomery. Here is how the team lined up at morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Shinzawa:
Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Jake DeBrusk
Danton Heinen - Morgan Geekie - David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk - Jesper Boqvist - Trent Frederic
Jakub Lauko - Marc McLaughlin - Justin Brazeau
Pavel Zacha
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mason Lohrei - Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon - Kevin Shattenkirk
Derek Forbort
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Five Things to Know About the Maple Leafs
- The Maple Leafs have won nine of their past 10 games. They’ve scored four or more goals in all but one of those wins, with the exception being a technical fourth goal in a 4-3 shootout win against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
- Auston Matthews leads the NHL with 53 goals in 59 games. The next-closest players are Edmonton’s Zach Hyman and Florida’s Sam Reinhart with 42 each.
- The Maple Leafs boast the top scoring offense in the NHL as of Monday (3.65 goals per game), but have the 20th-ranked scoring defense (3.15 goals allowed per game),
- Toronto’s power play (28.4%) trails only Tampa Bay (28.7%) in the NHL as of Monday.
- Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe did not name a goalie starter. Ilya Samsonov was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate. He has a .883 save percentage and 3.23 goals against average. Joseph Woll has a .918 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average.
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