The Boston Bruins began their five-game road trip over nine days on Tuesday night with a brutal 8-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Down 3-1 entering the third period, the Black and Gold surrended five goals in the final 20 minutes. That loss ranks at the top of the list of embarrassing losses in 2024-25 with the 8-2 drilling they got against the Carolina Hurricanes on Halloween.
The Bruins will try and pick up the pieces Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken with a 10 o'clock puck drop in the Northwest. Looking to rebound from a blowout loss 48 hours earlier, interim coach Joe Sacco is making some lineup changes for the second and final meeting of the season with Seattle.
Joe Sacco making 3 Bruins' lineup changes against Kraken
After a loss the way the Bruins lost Tuesday night, it's not surprising to see lineup changes in the next game. Thursday after their morning skate in Seattle, Sacco announced three lineup changes, one not-so-surprising, and two other interesting ones.
Sacco said that Joonas Korpasalo would be between the pipes and it was planned that way despite what happened in Winnipeg with Jeremy Swayman. This is a good time for Korpisalo to turn in another strong performance for the Black and Gold this season and help them erase the horror of Tuesday's blowout.
On defense, Mason Lohrei will be a healthy scratch and Parker Wortherspoon will instead play on the third pairing. Against the Jets, Lohrei had a plus/minus of minus-3, and giving him a night off is not the worst thing in the world. Up front, Marc McLaughlin will be a scratch and veteran Tyler Johnson will be reinserted into the lineup against the Kraken. Johnson is someone who has played well when he has been in the lineup and tonight is the perfect time to slot him in.
Joe Sacco on tonight's #NHLBruins lineup vs. the Kraken: "Joonas Korpisalo will be in net tonight...that was the plan moving forward...Marc McLaughlin will be out, Tyler Johnson will rotate in, and Parker Wotherspoon will be in, Mason Lohrei will be out." pic.twitter.com/t9fJidrGFF
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 12, 2024
After a loss like Boston had to Winnipeg, lineup changes were bound to happen. They are and we'll see if these moves turn things around and turn in a better performance for a team that is only going to see the trip get harder and harder before it ends on Dec. 19 in Edmonton against the Oilers.