The Bruins face the Maple Leafs on Friday in Toronto with their eyes trained on the near future.
Bruce Cassidy revealed to reporters he’ll make a host of lineup changes for Friday’s matchup, the teams’ regular-season finale. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchad, Taylor Hall, Erik Haula, David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyck all will miss the game in order to rest and recover for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jack Studnicka, Oskar Steen, Anton Blidh, Marc McLaughlin, Chris Wagner, Jack Ahcan, Mike Reilly and Josh Brown all will draw into Boston’s lineup.
Jake DeBrusk likely will move from right wing to left wing on Boston’s top line, where Studnicka and Steen will join him. Boston’s normal third line — Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith — might become the second unit. Anton Blidh, Marc McLaughlin and season-debutant Chris Wagner might form the third line.
Brandon Carlo could move from the second to first defensive pairing, where Ahcan will join him. Reilly and Brown might form the second pairing, with the third unit consisting of Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton, as usual.
Jeremy Swayman is the the Bruins’ starting goaltender, with Linus Ullmark serving as his backup.
NESN+ will broadcast Bruins-Maple Leafs coverage, beginning at 6 p.m. with “Bruins Breakaway Live,” followed by “Bruins Face-Off Live.” Puck drop from Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m., and postgame coverage immediately will follow the final horn.
Remember, if you’re on the go you can catch Bruins-Maple Leafs online at Watch NESN Live.
Here are the teams’ projected lines and pairings.
BOSTON BRUINS (51-25-5)
Jake DeBrusk–Jack Studnicka–Oskar Steen
Trent Frederic–Charlie Coyle–Craig Smith
Anton Blidh–Marc McLaughlin–Chris Wagner
Nick Foligno–Tomas Nosek–Curtis Lazar
Jack Ahcan–Brandon Carlo
Mike Reilly–Josh Brown
Derek Forbort–Connor Clifton
Jeremy Swayman
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (53-21-7)
Ilya Mikheyev–Alexander Kerfoot–William Nylander
Pierre Engvall–David Kampf–Colin Blackwell
Nick Abruzzese–Jason Spezza–Joey Anderson
Kyle Clifford–Wayne Simmonds–Justin Holl
Morgan Rielly–Ilya Lyubushkin
Jake Muzzin–T.J. Brodie
Mark Giordano–Timothy Liljegren
Erik Kallgren
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