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)

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