Boston Bruins
Bruins vs Sabres Preview: Lucic Returns; Lohrei Ready
Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Boston Bruins Game Day Preview:
Boston Bruins (1-0) @ Buffalo Sabres (1-0)
TIME: 7 p.m. ET
TV: NESN Plus, MSG B
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Boston Bruins Notes
-New/old Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic will don the Boston Bruins uniform in game action tonight for the first time since April 11, 2015, two months before the Bruins traded him to the Los Angeles Kings. Following the game-day skate on Tuesday morning, the 35-year-old winger felt like the 18-year-old version of himself before his first preseason game in September 2007.
“It’s exciting,” a smiling Lucic told Boston Hockey Now. “I haven’t put it on since 2015, so it’s exciting. It’s always fun to get the first game action, so I look forward to it, especially against a division rival.”
Lucic was then asked if he remembered his first preseason game with the Bruins.
“It was actually in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the first preseason game,” Lucic recalled. “I remember being really nervous. It’s one of those things you obviously remember, but it ended up being good. My linemate was Shawn Thornton. He did a good job, especially my first year, of just calming me down and talking me through things and stuff like that. So I guess a little bit of the same feeling now, kind of some butterflies and all that type of stuff, putting on the jersey again, so lots to look forward to.”
Betting: As of 1:40 p.m. ET, no betting lines were open for this game, but your best bet is to check Canadian betting sites later today.
-Head coach Jim Montgomery has been really impressed with the progress of highly touted Bruins rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei.
“What I like about him is his brain, his length, his feet, his tremendous poise with the puck,” Montgomery said of the 22-year-old rearguard. “Again, I think the benefit of him going to play in Providence (last season) and getting in a lot of games, and getting used to our system, he seems to be very comfortable now this year in playing fast defensively in our d-zone.”
-This is the second of six preseason games for the Boston Bruins. Here’s the remaining preseason schedule:
– Sept. 29 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA | TV: NESN+ | Radio: 98.5)
– Oct. 2 at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. (Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA | TV: NESN | Radio: 98.5)
– Oct. 3 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA | TV: NESN | Radio: 98.5)
– Oct. 5 at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | TV: TNT | Radio: 98.5)
Buffalo Sabres Notes
-Former Boston Bruins and new Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton will not be in the lineup for the Sabres tonight, but he’s already playing a pivotal role for his new team. Head coach Tony Granato has been using Clifton on the top pairing with star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. As Granato pointed out on Monday, the Sabres didn’t necessarily bring Clifton and 2022 Stanley Cup champion Erik Johnson in via free agency just for skill but more so for the leadership and balance they can bring.
“When we looked at Clifton and Johnson. These are guys we were hopeful to sign. Those are the reasons why, the chemistry in that room,” Granato said. “I know that players in our room, I know the guys we have, they’re going to look up to these guys and these are the right guys to look up to.”
Boston Bruins Lineup:
Forwards
Milan Lucic-Marc McLaughlin-Alex Chiasson
Danton Heinen-Georgii Merkulov-Oskar Steen
Trevor Kuntar-Johnny Beecher-Jakub Lauko
Jesper Boqvist-Jayson Megna-Luke Toporowski
Defensemen
Mason Lohrei-Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk-Ryan Mast
Frederic Brunet-Ian Mitchell
Goalies
Kyle Keyser
Michael DiPietro
Buffalo Sabres Lineup:
Forwards
Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Zach Benson
Jiri Kulich – Casey Mittelstadt- Olivier Nadeau
Brandon Biro – Tyson Kozak – Isak Rosen
Brett Murray – Mason Jobst – Filip Cederqvist
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Mats Lindgren – Kale Clague
Riley Stillman – Joseph Cecconi
Goalies
Devon Levi
Devin Cooley
