Bruins Final Practice Report: Same Lineup For Game 7; Players Embracing The Moment

The Boston Bruins held their final practice of the 2018-19 season Tuesday as they prepared for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final Wednesday night at TD Garden in Boston. The forward lines and defensive pairings (below) remained the same from Game 6 Sunday. Forward Chris Wagner (wrist) and defenseman Matt Gryzelcyk (concussion) both practiced with their teammates again and like this past Saturday, Wagner skated in a contact jersey and Grzelcyk was in a non-contact.

“[Grzelcyk] has missed some games now, don’t want to mess with the back end,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Obviously up front, [Karson] Kuhlman did a good job, so he’ll probably stay in. I don’t have any injury reports on any of the other forwards. That’s good news. Something could happen obviously.”

All signs point to Cassidy keeping the same lineup in Game 7 and on Tuesday those players were embracing the chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 on home ice and potentially skate the Cup around the rink for their adoring fans.

“That’s why you play to get in this position,” forward and Weymouth, MA native Charlie Coyle said. “There’s no better place to be than in this position right now. You have two teams that have done great jobs and gone through up’s and downs. …plenty of them, and again, went through injuries, a lot of adversity. Tomorrow is going to be a great test for both teams.

That’s why you work for it, but you enjoy it along the way,” Coyle added. “Believe it or not, you enjoy those bumps and bruises, those achy feelings and it’s just I think it makes you really feel like you’re working towards something and when it happens and it pays off and you can get to this point and make something happen with it, that’s when. …I don’t think you feel that stuff anymore. Whatever happens, this is why you do it. You put everything into this and see where it gets you!”

Noel Acciari – who already won a Frozen Four Championship with Providence in 2015 on TD Garden ice – made it clear that, while that was a thrill, winning a Stanley Cup would be on a whole other level.

“Winning a National Championship is nice – and especially on this ice – but winning the Stanley Cup’s even sweeter,” Acciari said. “Game 7, you leave everything out on the ice.”

Acciari was asked about creating such a scenario in his imagination as a kid?

“Oh yeah, mini skates outside, and you’d always play whoever gets the next goal wins, Game 7 Stanley Cup winner,” Acciari said. “Every kid’s doing that and especially this time, so again, it’s going to be an exciting, emotional game and it’s going to be a good game to watch.”

Here’s the roster at practice Tuesday:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

DeBrusk-Krejci-Kuhlman

Johansson-Coyle-Heinen

Nordstrom-Kuraly-Acciari

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Moore-Clifton

Rask