Bruins will have a different look on defense vs. Blackhawks

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery will make at least one change to his blue line Tuesday night in Chicago.

In town for the second game of a five-game road trip that kicked off with a 5-3 loss in Detroit this past Sunday, the big news for the Bruins comes with the word that defenseman Hampus Lindholm will be a game-time decision.

• “I talked to [Lindholm] at the end of the [morning] skate, and I think he is going to play,” Montgomery said following the team’s morning skate at the United Center. “I told him, like, ‘Stay out here extra and let me know afterwards.’ I would say 90 percent certain [he plays].”

  Lindholm’s absence from Sunday’s contest came as a result of a blocked shot in Saturday’s victory that left Lindholm hobbled and in a walking boot the next day.

  The 6-foot-4 Lindholm has been Boston’s biggest minute-eating defenseman this year, with a team-high 1,492:21 of total time on ice and team-high 23:19 of time on ice per game.

  Given Lindholm’s workload this year, as well as the B’s status compared to the West-worst Blackhawks, it makes little to no sense for the Bruins to play Lindholm is even one percentage point less than 100 percent. The extra day or two of rest could make a difference, and the Bruins will have quality opponents and showdowns on deck with upcoming trips to Winnipeg and then Minnesota.

  This is hardly a make-or-break game for No. 27.

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  Nov 5, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril (67) bodychecks Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (44) in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports)

• If Lindholm is unable to go, the Bruins will turn to Jakub Zboril in what would be Zboril’s first game since Feb. 23 and just his fourth since Nov. 23. Utilized as the team’s seventh defenseman in two of his last three outings, Zboril has failed to log more than 7:30 in his last three appearances.

  Overall, the 26-year-old Zboril has appeared in 15 games this season, with one goal, along with 12 blocked shots and 15 hits, while averaging 12:43 per game.

  Again, I’d argue with this being Chicago and with Zboril not getting into a real game (at least from a rhythm standpoint) in almost four months, this seems like a perfect spot to throw No. 67 out there in a normal role.

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  Jan 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) and defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) talk against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

• Independent of what happens with Lindholm and Zboril, the Bruins will sit Brandon Carlo for tonight’s showdown with the Blackhawks, according to Montgomery.

  Montgomery noted that it was Carlo’s turn in what’s been a consistent ‘defensive rotation’ approach from Montgomery since the acquisition of Dmitry Orlov, and that the Bruins are going to give Carlo some extra rest following his scary-looking crash into the Little Caesars Arena endboards in the first period of Sunday’s loss.

• Great defensive play by Brandon Carlo to break up this breakaway.
  
  A very scary fall into the boards, but Carlo is back on the ice. pic.twitter.com/SY842e7uir

  — Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 12, 2023

• Elsewhere on the lineup front, the Bruins will undo last weekend’s middle-six tinkering and reunite Pavel Zacha with David Krejci and David Pastrnak on the Black and Gold’s second line, while Tyler Bertuzzi will drop down to the third line with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic.

  The Bruins dropped the Blackhawks by a 6-1 final in their meeting at TD Garden back on Nov. 19.