Brad Marchand talks new-look power play, Mason Lohrei discusses TD Garden debut and THN brings the morning skate lineup updates ahead of the Boston Bruins preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston Bruins are set to take on the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden on Friday in their third preseason game of the six-game slate.
The Bruins started the preseason with a 3-0 win against the New York Rangers at TD Garden on Sunday, and they’re coming off a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
After releasing the game roster yesterday, here is how the Bruins lined up this morning at Warrior Ice Arena:
Morning Skate Lines
Anthony Richard - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand - Matt Poitras - Danton Heinen
AJ Greer - John Farinacci - Jakub Lauko
Brett Harrison - Georgii Merkulov - Alex Chiasson
Mason Lohrei - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Kevin Shattenkirk
Parker Wotherspoon - Reilly Walsh
Linus Ullmark
Kyle Keyser
Power Play First Unit
Chiasson
Pastrnak-Zacha-Marchand
McAvoy
Power Play Second Unit
Heinen
Shattenkirk-Poitras-Merkulov
Lindholm
Friday will mark the first preseason appearance for NHL regulars Marchand, Zacha, Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm and Ullmark. Offseason acquisition Shattenkirk, who is expected to start this season on the third pair, will also get his first action in a Bruins uniform.
For the first time in a while, Marchand will be on the power play without Patrice Bergeron in the middle. The Bruins will be experimenting with Zacha, a left-shot, taking the righty Bergeron’s former position.
“Definitely a different threat. I actually think it opens ‘Pasta’ [Pastrnak] up a little bit more,” Marchand told reporters on Friday. “If a [defenseman] wants to go and block his shot, he can easily fake it and go into ‘Pav’ for a one-timer.”
“For me, obviously I don’t have the same threat with ‘Pav’ there as I did with ‘Bergy,’ so maybe we’ll look for shot tips a little bit more often. We’ll have to go through that a little bit.”
Mason Lohrei, who had a strong performance in the Buffalo loss, is expected to be paired up with McAvoy on Friday. He skated with Brandon Carlo in Buffalo.
“Everybody in this camp, everyone’s unbelievable, especially those two guys [McAvoy and Carlo],” Lohrei said. “Being able to play with anybody here, everyone’s a great player, and everyone’s got stuff that I can kinda try and steal from them, and learn and add to my game.”
In addition to playing alongside McAvoy, Lohrei will play in front of the TD Garden crowd for the first time.
“I’m more excited than anything,” he said. “I watched the game on Sunday, just on TV, but it was packed in there. The guys that played said it was [an] amazing atmosphere, and I’m just excited to be out there for the first time. I’m pumped for that.”
Another prospect making his first Bruins appearance at TD Garden is forward John Farinacci. The former Harvard captain signed with Boston as a college free agent this summer and will make his first appearance in preseason game action.
“He’s made progression every day,” Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco said. “Tonight will be a good opportunity for him to show management and coaches, everybody, what he can do in a game.”
Sacco mentioned Farinacci will play on the penalty kill and they will be paying close attention to his performance at the face-off dot.
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