Game Day Preview: Boston Bruins vs. Dallas Stars

With Jeremy Swayman starting in net, the Boston Bruins will look to bounce back against the Dallas Stars after suffering their first regulation loss of the season on Saturday.

The Boston Bruins will close out their two-game road trip on Monday as they face the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center for an 8.pm. ET puck drop. The B’s are coming off of their first regulation loss of the season after falling 5-4 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

“They’re a dangerous team in transition both ways, and they’ve got some dynamic players,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of the Stars following Monday’s morning skate.

While the Bruins held a 2-0 advantage over Detroit in the first period and led 3-2 heading into the third , the Red Wings came clawing back, netting three goals in the final frame and cracking the B’s penalty kill for two power play tallies on the night.

“It’s hard to be happy early because your team’s not playing as fast as you’d like and not everything is buttoned down yet,” Montgomery said.

Now with a 9-1-1 record, the B’s will look to correct the lackadaisical lapses that lost them Saturday’s matchup and return to playing a full 60 minutes of team-oriented hockey. The Bruins have been anchored by the Linus Ullmark-Jeremy Swayman goaltender tandem; Ullmark started against Detrioit and has a 2.30 goals against average and .926 save percentage through six games. Swayman, on the other hand, has a 1.38 GAA and .954 SV% through five starts, and he will start against Dallas.

The netminders have had a different defensive look in front of them the last two games in the absence of Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort. The Bruins called up Mason Lohrei, Parker Wotherspoon and Ian Mitchell from Providence last week, and the three have fared well with the heightened responsibility – specifically 22-year-old Lohrei, who is skating on the second pair with Brandon Carlo.

Kevin Shattenkirk played with both Hampus Lindholm and Wotherspoon on Saturday, and the veteran did not look his best. Shattenkirk, 34, was not brought in by the Bruins this offseason to play top minutes. His role is a depth, bottom-four defenseman, and it’s possible Montgomery may mix up the D-pairs against the Stars because of that. Derek Forbort is also getting closer to returning from injury, but Montgomery confirmed he would be out Monday.

In terms of forward lines, Montgomery moved Charlie Coyle back into the top six, skating with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk against the Red Wings. James van Riemsdyk, Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak stuck together while 19-year-old Matt Poitras centered the third line with Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie.

Jakub Lauko and Milan Lucic remain sidelined – with a facial fracture and lower-body injury, respectively – leaving Johnny Beecher to work with the recently signed Danton Heinen and Providence call-up Oskar Steen.

“I thought he’s gotten better every game and I think he’s helping us move from D-zone through the neutral zone to the O-zone,” Montgomery said of Heinen. “He does give me the opportunity if someone’s hurt, or whatever the case may be, that he can go in and fill.”

The Bruins are facing one of their toughest opponents so far this season in the Dallas Stars, and it will be a good test of resilience for the short-handed group that dropped a winnable contest in its last game action.

Five things to know about the Stars ahead of puck drop:

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