Will new-look lines help the Boston Bruins stop the Florida Panthers in their tracks?
Bruce Cassidy looks set to change the Bruins’ second, third and fourth lines for Wednesday night’s tilt with the undefeated Panthers at FLA Live Arena. Boston beat the San Jose 4-3 on Sunday in its last outing, but the Sharks’ near comeback and Craig Smith’s injury seems to have prompted Cassidy to shuffle the Bruins’ lines.
Based on Wednesday’s morning skate, Jack Studnicka is expected to move up from the fourth line to center the second line. Charlie Coyle should move from center to right-wing, and Tomas Nosek will drop to the fourth-line center.
With Smith out of action, Karson Kuhlman will move from the fourth- to third-line right wing spot.
Curtis Lazar is on the brink of returning from injury and is a game-time decision. If he plays, it likely will be as the fourth-line right wing. If he doesn’t play, Oskar Steen should continue in that role.
Boston’s three defensive pairings likely will remain intact.
Linus Ullmark is expected to start for the Bruins as goaltender.
Here are the projected lines and defensive pairings for Bruins-Panthers, which you can watch on NESN or live stream on Watch NESN Live. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
BOSTON BRUINS (3-1-0)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall–Jack Studnicka–Charlie Coyle
Jake DeBrusk–Erik Haula–Karson Kuhlman
Trent Frederic–Tomas Nosek–Curtis Lazar/Oskar Steen
Matt Grzelcyk–Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly–Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort–Connor Clifton
Linus Ullmark
FLORIDA PANTHERS (6-0-0)
Carter Verhaeghe–Aleksander Barkov–Anthony Duclair
Jonathan Huberdeau–Sam Bennett–Owen Tippett
Mason Marchment–Eetu Luostarinen–Sam Reinhart
Frank Vatrano–Joe Thornton–Patric Hornqvist
MacKenzie Weegar–Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling–Radko Gudas
Kevin Connauton–Brandon Montour
Sergei Bobrovsky
