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Boston Bruins Lines and Pairings Against Ottawa Senators Game 3

By Brandon Share-Cohen

Apr 15, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) skates with the puck in front of Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki (74) in the first period as part of game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) skates with the puck in front of Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki (74) in the first period as part of game two of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Bruins Lines and Pairings Against Ottawa Senators Game 3 of the 2017 NHL Playoffs

After a two-year absence, the Boston Bruins are returning home for a postseason game. It’s been a long time coming, but the Boston faithful will be ready to go Monday in game three with the series tied at one win apiece. Though the Bruins are returning home with one win – the goal for any road team heading into the postseason, the momentum is definitely in the Senators favor.

Despite leading game two by a score of 3-1 heading into the third period, the Bruins ultimately lost the game in overtime. It’s easy to look at players and assign blame, but that really shouldn’t be happening given the circumstances. When looking at the Bruins lineup in game one, and in game two, it’s clear the team was decimated by injury.

Heading into game one, the team was down a slew of players. Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, David Krejci and Noel Acciari were all missing from the lineup. Still, the Bruins found a way to win the game. Heading into game two, however, the team was down that same cast of players with the addition of Colin Miller. By the end of the first period, the Bruins were once again playing with five defenders as Adam McQuaid was forced to leave with an upper-body injury.

Related Story: Revisiting Lines and Pairings from Game 1

Entering game three, the line continues to feature a different look. The good news, however, is David Krejci looks set to return.

Lines and Pairings

With a new-look blueline, the Bruins prepared for game three Monday morning with the return of Krejci to his usual spot on the team’s second line and Acciari skating on the third line.

Forwards:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Backes

Drew Stafford-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

Dominic Moore-Riley Nash-Noel Acciari

Frank Vatrano-Ryan Spooner-Tim Schaller

Defense:

Zdeno Chara-Charlie McAvoy

Joe Morrow-Kevan Miller

John-Michael Liles-Tommy Cross

Matt Grzelcyk-Colin Miller

Goaltender:

Tuukka Rask

As the final lineup is confirmed, these lines will be updated to best reflect the lines in game three. The Bruins scratched Krejci at the last minute ahead of game one, so changes can certainly happen.

Tommy Cross Making His Playoff Debut

With so many injuries on the blueline for the Bruins, Tommy Cross and Matt Grzelcyk were recalled on an emergency basis ahead of game three. While Grzelcyk skated alongside Colin Miller as extra defenders, Cross looks primed for his playoff debut. In addition to skating alongside Liles, Cross also took part on the Bruins’ second power-play unit.

Related Story: Tommy Cross and Matt Grzelcyk Recalled

Cross has served as the Providence Bruins captain for the last two seasons. Despite playing in just three NHL games in his career, he has experience with 291 games in a Providence uniform. The 27-year-old has been solid with the P-Bruins and posted a career-high 35 points this season. If he can just play a responsible game on the team’s bottom pairing, he will be doing exactly what the Bruins want from him.

Next: Injured Overworked Defense Showing Strain

Game three will be an interesting test for the Bruins. With so many injuries on the backend, the team will need to play as a unit and share the effort in a complete 60-minute game. The Bruins cannot afford to drop another game after blowing a 3-1 lead in game two. Only time will tell what will happen, but the city of Boston will be watching with the utmost excitement as playoff hockey has returned to Beantown.

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