The Boston Bruins have options when it comes to their third defensive pairing.
It’s a safe bet that the team’s top four D-men are on solid ground heading down the home stretch and into the playoffs — Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk on the first pairing, with Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo manning the second. That’s how it’s been most of the season, and it doesn’t appear that coach Jim Montgomery will veer from that setup if all four guys remain healthy.
The questions begin to arise for the third unit, though. Of the four other defensemen on the active roster—Andrew Peeke, Kevin Shattenkirk, Mason Lohrei, and Parker Wotherspoon—Montgomery has been in the habit of using two for two straight games and then rotating in another pairing for the next two games, and so on.
But Montgomery’s intent concerning his bottom pairing for when the nitty gritty arrives is unclear. Will he eventually set it so a core of six defensemen is playing regularly, or will he continue to make changes at the bottom of the depth chart?
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The guess here is that Montgomery will eventually designate a fifth and sixth defenseman and change it up occasionally for certain situations, but there’s no guarantee on that. He could stay with his rotational system the rest of the way. For now, the experimenting continues. The latest pairing came Saturday, with Lohrei and Peeke getting the call for what turned out to be a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
On Friday, Montgomery explained why he was putting these two guys together for the first time since Peeke arrived from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline: “We wanted to see it in practice today. Ideally, it looks good, right? A stiff and physical guy against a puck mover and a more offensive guy with a more defensive mind.”
Before we take a closer look at the four vying for a spot on the third pairing, it’s worth adding these two items:
- One reason Peeke was added is that a ninth defenseman on the team, 32-year-old Derek Forbort—a nine-year NHL veteran who played 35 games this season—is on long-term injured reserve with two undisclosed injuries that may require surgery, according to general manager Don Sweeney.
- Although it’s doubtful that Montgomery will change the team’s top four blueliners, the player in the most danger of losing the upper-crust spot is Grzelcyk. A valuable piece of the Bruins’ success of the last few campaigns, he is having a down season, especially his offensive production — just two goals and seven assists in 55 games. And his puck movement is not quite up to his high standard.
There have been rumors that Grzelcyk’s time with Boston may be done when his contract is up after the season, but Montgomery is still in his corner, hoping for his return to top form.
“I encourage Grizzy as much as possible to attack middle ice from the D-zone and neutral zone because he makes really good decisions,” Montgomery said in a Boston.com article Monday. “And when he’s moving his feet offensively and defensively, he’s really good.”
Boston’s Bottom Four on D
Andrew Peeke
With Forbort out, the 26-year-old Peeke—a veteran, hard-nosed guy—gives the Bruins a much-needed presence on the back end. In his five games with Boston, the best word to describe his play is solid. He’s been logging big minutes, with a low of 14:41 and a high of 19:29.
Also, he’s physical and uses his big body to his advantage in the corners and in front of the net. He’s made no glaring mistakes.
Since arriving, Peeke, in his fifth NHL season, has blocked 11 shots and is plus-three.
Kevin Shattenkirk
This 35-year-old warrior has been in the NHL since 2010-11, and he’s played 56 games with the Bruins this season. He’s third among Bruins defensemen in scoring with five goals and 17 assists for 22 points and has seen lots of action on the second power-play unit.
Also, Shattenkirk has averaged 20:18 on ice in his career and has a ton of playoff experience (seven of his seasons), something the other three don’t have. In 2019-20, he was part of the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Parker Wotherspoon
Many Bruins fans were surprised when he came up from Providence, Boston’s AHL farm club. The 26-year-old Wotherspoon is the definition of steady.
He’s feisty in front of the net, and after making contact with forwards close to the crease, he usually adds a push-off for good measure after the whistle—as if to say, “I definitely don’t want you positioned right there. Don’t come back.”
Wotherspoon has seven assists and is plus-six in 34 games. He averages 17:53 on ice. Also, his 25 penalty minutes are a product of his aggressiveness.
Mason Lohrei
This is the guy being groomed for the future, but he could also make a big impact now if Montgomery chooses to tap him for the third pairing.
The knock from the Boston media on the 23-year-old Lohrei is that the rookie is too green for the grueling style of hockey that always comes a knockin’ in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But Lohrei is clearly a talented offensive commodity who has shown an ability to be deceptive and creative while rushing the puck. He has four goals and nine assists in 40 games, but he has also spent significant time in Providence.
So, How Will This Play Out?
The best thing about Boston’s third pairing situation is that there are plenty of options and plenty of time to determine who’s ready for the grind.
Does Montgomery want a veteran presence? That’s Shattenkirk and Peeke.
He could also use the two he used against Philadelphia on Saturday—one D-minded (Peeke) and one with offensive flair (Lohrei).
Offense? Shattenkirk and Lohrei.
Grittiness? Peeke and Wotherspoon.
Or any of the other combinations that the coach may want.
For the four guys in question, now is definitely the time to show what they’ve got.