The Boston Bruins suffered a meltdown on Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens. It led Marco Sturm to make lineup reconsiderations.
Via Belle Fraser of BostonBruins.com, “Sturm adjusted some of his defensive pairings, having Frederic Brunet skate with Connor Clifton and Mason Lohrei skate with Jonathan Aspirot.”
Fraser also noted that Sturm said, “We [haven’t] made a decision yet. We switched a few pairs around, but we will decide tomorrow how we’re going to do it.”
The interesting part about moving Brunet alongside Clifton and Lohrei to pair with Aspirot is the irony. Sturm recently praised the chemistry Brunet and Lohrei built.
Marco Sturm Previously Praised Bruins’ Young Defensive Partnership
Via Jack Studley of Boston Hockey Now, Sturm said of Brunet on Wednesday, Nov. 11:
“And now he’s been playing with Mason for a long time. They’re good friends on the ice, off the ice, and I think that definitely helps. He feels more comfortable playing with a guy like that. He doesn’t ever have to worry about making a mistake or not.”
Right now, it seems to be nothing but experimentation. But it is something to keep an eye on, with Sturm at least considering splitting Brunet and Lohrei in the short term.
Given what Sturm said on Wednesday, it looked like another dream pairing for Boston. He emphasized the importance of that familiarity, so it is notable that he is splitting them up in practice.
Boston’s Next Opponent May Have Something To Do With The Shakeup
Still, Sturm also needs to prepare the Bruins for their Saturday meeting against the Minnesota Wild, a team they previously lost to in a 4-1 blowout. Minnesota has also established itself as one of the NHL’s best teams. Their 32 points lead all Western Conference teams as of Friday afternoon.
If that means rolling with a different set of defensive pairings and splitting up Brunet and Lohrei for at least a game, Sturm must make that move. Praise or not for Brunet and Lohrei, the Bruins must get back on track against the Wild.
Turning things around vs. Minnesota could poise the Bruins for yet another run reminiscent of what they enjoyed throughout most of the first half of November. It is a must, considering how competitive the Atlantic Division is getting.
Boston Faces Difficult Decision Ahead Of Wild Matchup
Sturm also has eight healthy defensemen with the big club as of Friday: Brunet, Clifton, Aspirot, Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Will Borgen, and Hampus Lindholm.
Brunet, Clifton, and Aspirot have spent the season competing for ice time. Brunet, the youngest of the trio with the highest potential, has appeared in 13 contests, with five points, a goal, a plus-4, and 20 blocks to show for it. Those aren’t bad numbers for a player in his age-23 season.
Aspirot and Clifton have played in six and seven games, respectively. They have one assist between them, and factor in as physical defensemen. Their roles are best utilized when Boston is facing a team that has more edge to their game.
Minnesota isn’t one of the more physical teams in the league, using a hard-hitting mentality as a supplement to their play. That said, it doesn’t mean the Bruins won’t add a dose of physicality with Aspirot or Clifton.
But against a team like Minnesota, ultimately rolling with Brunet and Lohrei again could be the better option.
Bruins’ Marco Sturm Reconsiders Partnership He Praised Days Ago