Jim Montgomery did not indicate if there would be any lineup changes for the Boston Bruins in Game 5 at TD Garden Tuesday night.
The Boston Bruins will host the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 5 at TD Garden with a 7 p.m. puck drop. The Bruins have a 3-1 series lead, and the chance to close out the series Tuesday night. A pregame notebook, below:
Linus Ullmark on the Bruins’ goaltender situation
Jeremy Swayman has earned the Bruins’ net in the first round. The goaltender has a 3-0-0 record, 1.34 goals against average and .956 save percentage in the playoffs, and has shown poise, athleticism and confidence between the pipes.
“‘Sway’ has been playing tremendously – I have a lot of faith in that fella and very happy for him obviously,” Linus Ullmark said Monday. “Stay positive and supportive of him. If I don’t support my guy, I’m not supporting the team.”
Boston strayed from its goalie rotation Saturday, starting Swayman in back-to-back games, and it proved worth it. While Bruins coach Jim Montgomery did not say who his starter will be for Game 5, it would not be a surprise if they stuck with the hot hand in a clinching game.
That leaves Ullmark – who made 31 saves in the 3-2 Game 2 loss on April 22 – on the bench and without game action for over a week. It’s not the ideal situation for any competitive athlete, but Ullmark is committed to a team-first mentality.
“There’s a reason why I’m here today, and it’s not being a salty little crybaby about not playing or anything like that. I try to stay professional, supporting the guys,” Ullmark said. “I can’t take days off, you never know what happens. Always hope for the best, expect the worst kind of thing. You always have to be vigilant and stay positive throughout the series.”
Apr 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins goaltenders Jeremy Swayman (1) and Linus Ullmark (35) celebrate the win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the third period in game four of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAYLineup updates, potential returns
Montgomery did not reveal Tuesday if there would be any lineup changes for the Bruins, but said Monday that Derek Forbort and Justin Brazeau were options.
“You don’t want to change things just to change things,” Montgomery said Tuesday. “But if you think your team can get better – because of matchups, because of history with players and where you think they might be best utilized to help the Bruins – that’s when you look at potentially making changes.”
Forbort was last on the ice after practice with Kevin Shattenkirk, Jakub Lauko and Linus Ullmark, indicating that Matt Grzelcyk will likely be back in the lineup and Swayman will start in net. There’s still a forward decision that needs to be made – probably choosing between Brazeau and Johnny Beecher for the fourth line.
Brazeau has been working back from an upper-body injury he suffered on April 2 against the Nashville Predators. He practiced in a regular jersey with the Bruins on both Monday and Tuesday.
“I think that was kind of the whole point of taking time with it, making sure that I was at a point where when I go on the ice, I have no second thoughts and I can just play,” Brazeau said Monday. “I’m excited to get out there and hopefully help out.”
Bruins learning from last season’s 3-1 lead
The Bruins have been here before. On April 26, 2023, Boston returned to TD Garden for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers and proceeded to drop three straight, getting booted out of the first round. While this year’s team has a sharp focus on Toronto and not on the past, it’s still an experience the players will lean on to forge a better outcome this time around.
“I think smart hockey players – you do learn from the past,” Charlie Coyle said Monday. “You always carry that with you, you put your best foot forward. I think we know what to do and how we want to play, so we just focus on that.”
Coyle and his teammates have reiterated that they don’t think they’ve shown the Leafs their “best hockey” and that they’re capable of taking things to another level. If there was ever a time to take it up a gear, a close-out game on home ice is the place to do it. The Bruins will be tasked with matching Toronto’s desperation – its season, and state of its organization, are on the line.
“Staying in the moment, focusing on our process, that drives results,” Montgomery said Monday. “That’s where our mindset needs to be, and hopefully that’s part of the experience we learned from last year.”
Auston Matthews’ availability unclear
Auston Matthews did not play in the third period of Game 4 and was not on the ice for Toronto’s Monday practice, either. While the Leafs have William Nylander back in the lineup after missing the first three games of the series, it looks like they could potentially be without another one of their offensive weapons.
Per David Alter of The Hockey News, Matthews was on the ice for a few minutes for Tuesday’s morning skate, but departed soon after. Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said it will be the doctor’s decision if Matthews suits up for Game 5, and they’re monitoring to see how he feels for the rest of the day.
Parker Wotherspoon embracing playoff opportunity
When Andrew Peeke went down with an upper-body injury in Game 2, Parker Wotherspoon stepped up. The 26-year-old defenseman, who spent the first half of the season with AHL Providence, carved a role for himself on the Bruins’ third pair through 41 NHL games, but was not in the lineup to open the first round of the playoffs.
Wotherspoon slotted into Peeke’s spot next to Shattenkirk for Game 3 and Game 4.
He gave Boston exactly what it needed – a defense-first, physical and direct style of play. Wotherspoon logged 19:10 and 18:04 of total ice time in each showing, and is set to make his TD Garden playoff debut Tuesday.
Apr 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf (64) shoots the puck as Boston Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon (29) defends during the first period of game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports“I spent a lot of time in the minors and stuff…But obviously this is a big step up for me,” Wotherspoon said Monday. “It’s a great city, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a great team – I love the guys. Looking back, everything works out for a reason. This is a good spot for me.”
Wotherspoon skated on the third pair with Forbort during Monday’s practice, but it looks like Forbort will not be playing in Game 5 and Grzelcyk will be back in the rotation. No matter the defensive partner, Wotherspoon is looking forward to his first step onto Garden ice in a playoff atmosphere.
“It’s gonna be special coming out of that tunnel. See all the fans, it’s gonna be great. We know it’s gonna be rocking, especially with a chance to close it out. We’ve just got to be prepared and ready to go.”