The Boston Bruins have made relatively easy work of the Toronto Maple Leafs through two games, and they’ve been shorthanded in the process.
That will (begin) to change Monday night in Toronto when the Bruins and Leafs play Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series.
The Bruins are expected to have forward Riley Nash back in the lineup. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Nash will take the warmup, and the plan is for him to play. Nash has been out since suffering a lacerated ear on March 31.
Nash is expected to center the third line between Danton Heinen and David Backes, meaning Noel Acciari will assume his regular role as the fourth-line pivot.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, however, they’ll likely be without defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. He suffered a lower-body injury in the Bruins’ Game 2 win. The young defenseman is unlikely to play, but Cassidy indicated there’s a chance he could still play.
For the Leafs, Nazem Kadri remains out as he serves his second of a three-game suspension, and Toronto will also be without defenseman Leo Komarov, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams.
BOSTON BRUINS (2-0)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk–David Krejci–Rick Nash
Danton Heinen–Riley Nash–David Backes
Tim Schaller–Sean Kuraly–Noel Acciari
Zdeno Chara–Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug–Kevan Miller
Nick Holden–Adam McQuaid
Tuukka Rask
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (0-2)
Zach Hyman–Auston Matthews –William Nylander
Patrick Marleau–Tomas Plekanec–Mitchell Marner
James van Riemsdyk–Tyler Bozak–Connor Brown
Andreas Johnsson–Dominic Moore–Kasperi Kapanen
Morgan Rielly–Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner–Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott–Roman Polak
Frederik Andersen
