Bruins make another hometown forward call-up ahead of tough road trip

The Boston Bruins are bringing back another hometown kid to figure out a new mix on the bottom-six.

As announced by the team on Monday, forward Marc McLaughlin has been called up ahead of the Bruins’ five-game Eastern Conference road trip. He has a chance to see his first NHL action of the 2022-23 season, having played 39 games in Providence so far.

McLaughlin, 23, played 10 games for Boston in the 2021-22 season, potting three goals. Two of his scores came in consecutive games against the Blues and Senators.

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• Oh, and did we mention McLaughlin is from around here? He’s a native of North Billerica, Mass. who played four years at Boston College. So, get ready to be reminded of that at some point on the road trip.

  The McLaughlin call-up comes amid a Bruins fourth line in flux, due to Tomas Nosek’s recent injury. The Bruins announced last week that Nosek suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. He will miss at least four weeks, then be re-evaluated at that point.

  Getting some solid ice time recently has been Finnish forward Joona Koppanen, who has cracked the Boston lineup in three of its last six games. It remains to be seen if he ends up being sent back down to Providence after McLaughlin got the call-up.

  

  Apr 14, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Marc McLaughlin (26) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

• That the Bruins lack an obvious replacement for Nosek at fourth-line center – and that head coach Jim Montgomery has to devote time and energy to figuring that out – is not ideal. Nosek was a prominent penalty-killer for the B’s, second only to Charlie Coyle in PK ice time among their forwards. So that could be the area that they really feel his absence.

  In the meantime, if McLaughlin gets a look on the fourth line, he’d add the potential of a better scoring touch than Nosek, which could make up for other shortcomings. With a tough stretch coming up – after facing the last-place Canadiens, the Bruins hit the road to face the Lightning, Panthers, Hurricanes, and Maple Leafs – it could be an “all hands on deck” kind of situation.

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  Mar 31, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Marc McLaughlin (26) celebrates with his teammates after scoring his first NHL goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

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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. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.