By Conor Ryan
Jim Montgomery is largely going again to the Bruins’ lineup that gained Video games 3 and 4 in opposition to the Maple Leafs in Toronto, however an damage will take one middle-six ahead out of the equation for Sport 6 on Thursday night time.
Montgomery dominated out Danton Heinen, itemizing the ahead as “day to day” moving forward. The writing has been on the wall for the previous week that Heinen has been hampered by an damage, because the 28-year-old ahead has taken a number of upkeep days throughout this first-round collection in opposition to Toronto.
Heinen solely has one help on this collection, however it was the first helper on Brad Marchand’s game-winning tally in Sport 3.
With Heinen out, Justin Brazeau will keep within the lineup and skate on a 3rd line subsequent to Trent Frederic and James van Riemsdyk.
Past Heinen’s damage, the Bruins are rolling with an analogous grouping because the one that put Toronto getting ready to elimination, with Johnny Beecher again on the fourth line and Kevin Shattenkirk changing Matt Grzelcyk on the blue line.
Right here is Boston’s projected lineup, based on Thursday’s morning skate:
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Morgan Geekie
Jake DeBrusk – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
James van Riemsdyk – Trent Frederic – Justin Brazeau
Johnny Beecher – Jesper Boqvist – Pat Maroon
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Brandon Carlo – Hampus Lindholm
Parker Wotherspoon – Kevin Shattenkirk
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Brandon Carlo dodged a bullet with the damage bug, as he took a puck up excessive within the closing minutes of the third interval of Sport 5. Nonetheless, the veteran defenseman will be cleared for Thursday night time with out any restrictions.
Montgomery didn’t tip his hand as to which goalie will get the nod in web on Thursday night time, however Linus Ullmark was on the ice late with other expected scratches like Grzelcyk, Jakub Lauko and others — signaling that Jeremy Swayman will make his fourth straight begin on this collection.
Swayman is 3-1 on this collection in opposition to Toronto with a .952 save share. The 25-year-old netminder is coming off of a loss, however was nonetheless sturdy between the pipes in Sport 5 (31 saves on 33 photographs).
The Maple Leafs will as soon as once more look to maintain their season alive and drive Sport 7 with out their greatest participant in Auston Matthews. Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe connfirmed that Matthews will miss his second straight game on Thursday night time as a result of a lingering sickness.
Though Toronto gained Sport 5 with out Matthews, the star middle’s absence shall be missed.
Matthews scored a league-best 69 objectives in the course of the common season, and was the Leafs’ prime participant in their Sport 2 win in Boston final week — recording three factors 23:24 of ice time whereas including eight photographs on aim, a team-high six hits, and successful 16 of 23 face-offs.
However Matthews, who missed practices within the days following that win, was not in a position to carry that momentum over in Video games 3 and 4 — posting zero factors in each losses with a mixed 4 photographs on aim.
Puck drop for Sport 6 is about for 8 p.m. in Toronto.
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