How Bruins Can Replace Andrew Peeke If D-Man Misses Time

Based on the evidence we have in front of us, the Bruins might need to tweak their lineup for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoff first-round series with the Maple Leafs.

Boston defenseman Andrew Peeke left midway through the B’s Game 2 loss to Toronto at TD Garden. Peeke might be dealing with some sort of hand or finger injury after blocking a shot in the second period. He left the game in the second period and didn’t return with the team for the third period.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery didn’t have a postgame update on the blueliner, and Peeke wasn’t on the ice for an optional skate Tuesday morning at Warrior Ice Arena, according to reporters.

With all of that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Peeke will be in the lineup when the puck drops for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Toronto. The Bruins at least have options to replace the trade deadline pickup.

The three most logical potential replacements are Derek Forbort, Parker Wotherspoon and Mason Lohrei.

Forbort is certainly the most veteran option, but it’s not entirely clear he’s ready to return to game action. The 32-year-old is ahead of schedule in his return from surgery last month, a procedure that was likely to end his season. He “returned” to Boston on Monday, called up after a conditioning stint in Providence. Forbort wasn’t an option for Game 2, but he declared he’d travel with the team to Canada and go from there. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Wednesday, but he does have 32 games of playoff experience under his belt … which is 32 more than Lohrei and Wotherspoon have combined.

Lohrei, whom the Bruins recalled Tuesday morning, is an interesting option. He got his first taste of the NHL this season and flashed the potential that has made him one of the top prospects in the organization. There’s a bright future for the 6-foot-3 D-man. Is that future now, though? You’re always running the risk of throwing a young player into this situation. This specific scenario is borderline diabolical for someone like Lohrei, a young defenseman potentially asked to make his playoff debut in Toronto against a Maple Leafs team with insane firepower up front. Then again, perhaps Lohrei could be a shot in the arm (similar to Charlie McAvoy in 2017, perhaps). He skates well for his size and position, and he can move the puck well, especially in transition. Montgomery lamented his team’s lack of speed in transition after Game 2, pointing to an inability to win puck battles in the defensive end. Lohrei could help in all of those areas, assuming the moment isn’t too big.

Wotherspoon might ultimately be a hybrid of the other two scenarios. He also was a pleasant surprise at points in the season, appearing in 41 of 82 games. Like Lohrei, he skates well and can move the puck. He has solid offensive touch for a defenseman, but he also lacks prototypical size and toughness for a defenseman at the highest level. The ask gets even bigger on the road where the Maple Leafs have last change, and Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe could hunt matchups with his top two lines against wherever Wotherspoon is paired.

One other wrinkle: All three of those players are left-handed shots, potentially being asked to replace the right-shot Peeke. The Bruins don’t have another right-shot defenseman on the roster, but with Brandon Carlo, Charlie McAvoy and Kevin Shattenkirk still in the mix, they could still split up the D-pairs evenly with right-left combinations if that’s what they want to do.

The Bruins impressed Montgomery with their ability to battle without Peeke for almost half of Game 2. Now, they might need someone to step up and impress him in Peeke’s place as early as Wednesday night.