Bruins Game Day Preview: Boston Opts For Bigger Lineup Against Streaking Islanders

Matt Poitras is a planned healthy scratch, Jesper Boqvist makes his return and the Boston Bruins are equipping themselves with size ahead of Friday’s matchup against the New York Islanders.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Boston Bruins take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, just two days after falling 2-1 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils. Looking to jump back into the win column, coach Jim Montgomery shuffled the lines for morning skate, giving a look at what Friday’s lineup should look like:

Friday’s Morning Skate Lines

Danton Heinen - Morgan Geekie - David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Jake DeBrusk

James van Riemsdyk - Trent Frederic - Jesper Boqvist

Jakub Lauko - Johnny Beecher - Oskar Steen

Matt Poitras

Hampus Lindholm - Ian Mitchell

Matt Grzelcyk - Brandon Carlo

Mason Lohrei - Kevin Shattenkirk

Parker Wotherspoon - Patrick Brown

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

Forward Patrick Brown and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon were recalled from AHL Providence on Thursday after the Bruins placed Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy (both upper body) on injured reserve, but neither are expected to take the ice on Friday.

However, Jesper Boqvist will return to the lineup in place of Matt Poitras, who will be a healthy scratch as part of his load management plan. Boqvist is expected to skate on the third line with Trent Frederic and James van Riemsdyk, but Montgomery didn’t commit to a concrete lineup, aside from who is in and who’s out.

“We didn’t have the opportunity to practice yesterday, so just looking at some different things. We’re not sure [of] our lineup,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery confirmed Linus Ullmark will start in net after Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in the losing effort to New Jersey on Wednesday. After facing a high-octane Devils team, the Bruins expect a grinding defensive matchup against the Islanders.

“Tonight’s going to be another tight one,” Jake DeBrusk said. “Obviously a defensive team against the Islanders. We play similar in a way, they forecheck hard and we’re going to need to be ready to break pucks out.”

The Islanders are 14-7-7, winning their past four games in a row. Anticipating a defensive battle, Montgomery slotted Frederic (6-3, 220) at center to create a size advantage down the middle on all four lines.

“It makes you big and heavy down the middle, right? With [Morgan] Geekie (6-3, 202), [Charlie] Coyle (6-3, 218), [Johnny] Beecher (6-3, 216) and [Frederic],” Montgomery said. “It’s four big, heavy bodies, and we know that [New York] is a heavy team that forechecks a lot, so we’re going to need to have a physical presence down low at both ends of the ice.”

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