The Boston Bruins continue to roll. They are now on a six-game winning streak after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday Night (Nov. 8). This week of Bruins hockey was filled with plenty of bright spots, so here are the Tommy’s Takes for this week.
Keep Mason Lohrei on the Third Pair
It’s all about putting the player in a position to succeed. The goal at the beginning of the season was to see Mason Lohrei thrive alongside Charlie McAvoy. To have the veteran in McAvoy to lean on and be able to have as a mentor would have been great.
However, Lohrei being on the top pair has not worked, as both he and McAvoy are trying to do the same things on the ice. The offensive upside is there, but it’s been a poor effort defensively. Due to that, head coach Marco Sturm has sat Lohrei for the last five games. Sturm has done this with players before, and they have responded well. Lohrei did just that and did it from the third pair.
Lohrei was paired alongside Jonathan Aspirot, and Lohrei put together his best game of the entire season. After sitting out five games, he responded well and delivered a great performance. During five-on-five play, Lohrei finished with a 60.9 Corsi for percentage (CF%). Furthermore, the Bruins outshot the Maple Leafs 8-2 with him on the ice and also had a 2-0 goal differential. The biggest standout factor was Lohrei finishing with an expected goals for percentage (xGF%) of 72.17.
Lohrei was all over the ice. He almost had a highlight reel goal, as he toe-dragged a Maple Leafs defender and had a prime scoring chance. This is the key to Lohrei’s success. Instead of taking on larger minutes and playing on a pair he hasn’t had success on, playing him in a sheltered role allows him to impact the game in a more positive manner.
The Scoring Continues to Come from Everywhere
What makes this Bruins team special is that they have contributions coming from everywhere. This is a team that has been reliant on David Pastrnak to produce offense and score goals. However, this season and this week in general, the Bruins are getting notable contributions from everyone. The depth has answered the bell, and it’s played a huge role in the team having success.
This week of hockey for the Bruins (Nov. 3-Nov. 9), the Bruins had eight different goalscorers. Furthermore, three of those eight players had two goals, and Pastrnak was eighth with one goal this week. His lone goal this week came against the Maple Leafs, and he is now one away from scoring number 400 for his career.
Morgan Geekie continues to shine brightly. He scored two goals this week and led the team in points. Also, he led the team in points this week with four. Geekie has been stellar, as he is tied for second place among the league leaders in goals scored.
Related: Bruins’ Second Line Providing Added Boost During Winning Streak
What continues to be a bright spot is the second line. It has been a great boost in secondary scoring. Viktor Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha each scored two goals, as Zacha had the game-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres. Arvidsson now has five goals in his last eight games and has turned on the jets over the course of this winning streak.
Also, it’s not just the top two lines getting the job done. The fourth line has seen contributions, as Sean Kuraly scored his first goal since returning to the Bruins. Fraser Minten put the dagger in his former team with a gorgeous goal to secure the two points for the Bruins against the Maple Leafs.
The scoring is coming from everywhere. The last two seasons, depth scoring was a concern. This season, it’s a bright spot.
The Bruins Are Rolling
The Bruins continue to roll and are piling up the wins. Lohrei put together his best game of the season and earned his place to remain in the lineup. Everything for this team has begun to click, especially the depth scoring. It’s a recipe for winning, and it’s been great to watch.
