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Bruins Shake Up Lineup For Home Opener: ‘We Need Urgency’

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AP Photo/Jim Rassol

BRIGHTON– The Boston Bruins couldn’t have looked much worse to start the 2024-25 season.



After a disastrous opening night loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, the Bruins hope to add urgency to their lineup, making multiple changes for the first game of the season at TD Garden tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.

“Urgency, playing fast, winning battles. Those are the three things we need to improve on vastly from Game 1,” said Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery Thursday morning at Warrior Ice Arena. “It’s early in the year. We want to get people in the lineup, and we want to get people acclimated to game speed. For the guys who are coming out, it’s not a reflection. The whole team was porous last game. It’s just an opportunity to get two guys in.

Parker Wotherspoon will take Mason Lohrei’s spot on the third defense pairing, while Riley Tufte replaces Max Jones on the third line.

A free agent signing this offseason, Tufte will make his Bruins debut skating with Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau on a line the Bruins need to provide a physical edge.

“It’s a big line for us,” Tufte said. “We want to be hard on the forecheck, be a presence down low, and just be noticeable out there.”

Above all else, the Bruins’ defense must improve from its performance against the Panthers.

While Florida came out energized and ready to go after hoisting their Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters, it seemed Boston never realized the game actually started.

Must Read: Bruins Start Season With Disaster Against Panthers

The Panthers had 12 of the first 13 shots on goal of the game and held a commanding 4-1 lead at the end of the frame. Boston never recovered, falling 6-4 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggested.

“We weren’t being firm and hard enough at our net front, but there were about five problems before that led to that,” Montgomery said. “We were poor, but it was Game 1. One great thing about sports is we get an opportunity to respond tonight and show what we’re made of.”

If there’s any consolation for Tuesday’s result, it’s that the Bruins didn’t exactly have their best option in net. Backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo was admirable in his effort but was nonetheless abused by Florida, surrendering six goals on 35 shots without much help in front of him.

Rather than roll with Korpisalo again tonight, the Bruins are calling on  Jeremy Swayman to make his season debut while seeing live-game action for the first time in five months.

“I love his confidence around the team,” said Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm. “I’ve played with him now for a few years. He’s one of those guys who’s been around the team. He knows the culture. We have a lot of belief in him, and I think he has a lot of belief in us. It’s gonna be fun playing in front of him.

Fun, it may be.

However, if the Bruins come out flat again, it’ll be anything but.

“You want to get back on the horse as quickly as possible. That’s in the past. It was the first game. We don’t really put too much into it. We know we have to play way better at home against Montreal. It should be a fun way to start off the season at TD Garden.”

Puck drop between the Bruins and Canadiens is set for 7 p.m. at TD Garden.

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