Bruins make two notable call-ups before Leafs series
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The Boston Bruins made two notable call-ups ahead of Game 1 of their playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
GM Don Sweeney announced Friday that the Bruins have recalled both center John Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei from Providence ahead of Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lohrei hasn’t played a game for the B’s since April 2, while Beecher last suited up on April 15.
Lohrei, 23, played 41 games in his official rookie season for the Bruins, tallying four goals and nine assists. Beecher, meanwhile, played 52 games and scored seven goals to go with three assists.
Mar 4, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) tries to get control of a puck as Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) defends during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Educated guess: the safer bet to actually play in the Bruins-Leafs series is Beecher. Lohrei has good size on the blue line and has shown plenty of offensive flair in his first NHL action, but he’s likely not ready for the physical grind of the playoffs. He still has plenty of work to do on the details when playing in his own end. That’s normal for a 23-year-old defenseman who is just starting to dip his toes in NHL waters.
Beecher, however, has a chance to be a real asset for the Bruins in one particular area: the faceoff dot. Beecher won a solid 54.6 percent of his draws during the 2023-24 season, second on the team behind only Pavel Zacha.
Zacha will be counted upon as an offensive threat for the Bruins. If they need someone to win a defensive zone faceoff and play those hard minutes in the Bruins’ end of the ice, they may look toward Beecher to fill that need. Beecher would represent a better option for faceoffs than Jesper Boqvist (37.5% on faceoffs), who is projected as Boston’s fourth-line center, based on the past two practices.
MORE: NHL announces complete Bruins-Leafs schedule
The Bruins and Maple Leafs drop the puck for Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night at TD Garden.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.
Don Sweeney touches on the Bruins' plans in net for the playoffs
Dec 2, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (44) brings the puck in front of Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark (35) in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. (Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports)
If this is about riding the hot hand, or the goaltender who’s been better since the trade deadline, you’d have to think that the Ullmark would be the leader in the clubhouse for the role of Game 1 starter.
Going back to the Bruins’ strict commitment to the rotation going back to Feb. 21, Ullmark’s .919 save percentage over that span ranks 10th-best among a group of 53 NHL goaltenders with at least 10 appearances. Swayman and his .902 save percentage over that same span, meanwhile, ranks 30th out of 53.
And though Ullmark’s regular season may have ended with a bit of a stinker, as he allowed two goals on just 19 shots in a loss to Ottawa this past Tuesday, there’s no denying the impact Ullmark made during what was no doubt the B’s best stretch of the season, with two wins and a .956 save percentage over a three-start stretch that featured head-to-heads with the Lightning, Predators, and then the Panthers.
Nov 2, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) after an overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Garden. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)
But if this is about the matchup, it just so happens that Swayman’s rather up-and-down season — when he was up, he was absolutely electric and when he was down it was sometimes a bit of a rough watch — featured some downright phenomenal outings against the Maple Leafs.
In three showdowns with the Leafs this season, the 25-year-old Swayman posted a 3-0-0 record, and turned aside 93 of the 97 shots he faced, good for a .959 save percentage. One could also make the case that Swayman’s best appearances post-All Star break have come against Toronto, with a 32-of-33 performance against Toronto on Mar. 4 and a 28-of-29 outing against the club just three nights later.
Swayman has made a late-season push in the Boston goal, too, with a 2-2-0 record and two goals or fewer surrendered in three of those four outings. That four-game sample has also come with a .919 save percentage for No. 1.
Oct 24, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) celebrate their win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. (David Banks/USA TODAY Sports)
As for how the Bruins will manage things, it feels like a rotation is the way to go. As noted, the Bruins have not given either goaltender consecutive starts since Swayman got the Feb. 19 game against Dallas and Feb. 21 start in Edmonton. The Bruins have also been mindful of how effective that one-two punch has been in goal for them, particularly when they’ve kept it as a one-two punch in that order and not melted their own brains by overthinking it.
And not for nothing, but Jim Montgomery seemed to verbally commit to a playoff rotation earlier this season. He walked that commitment back a bit in the days and weeks that followed, but the idea flowed enough for Montgomery to share what it would potentially look like, with Montgomery noting that he would likely give each goaltender two starts in the first four games of a playoff series before deciding his next move should the rotation indeed be their plan.
But, again, secrecy (and flexibility) remains the name of the game with Game 1 just two sleeps away.
“We’re very comfortable with both goaltenders,” Sweeney reiterated. “They know the plan as to what we’re going to do, and our team is very comfortable with both goaltenders. So, performance and results may change what our approach looks like, but we know what the plan is going into the playoffs.”
