The Boston Bruins are on a five-game losing streak after starting the season with three consecutive victories. Everything was coming up Bruins during that winning streak, which included a solidified top pair of Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy was back at full health, and Lohrei finally had a reliable defender next to him to avoid having the worst plus/minus in the league for the second consecutive season.
Lohrei had just five shifts in the third period on Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, and just one shift after Brad Marchand exposed his defensive liabilities with a beautiful pass to give the Panthers a lead. Eetu Luostarinen established body position early in the play on Lohrei, and he was never able to get it back, something that has been a big issue with his ability to play defense.
AJ Greer was also Lohrei's man when he scored the Panthers' second goal, in a play that came off a scramble faceoff in the defensive zone. Lohrei lost track of Greer, something that you don't want to see happen when your top pairing is facing the other team's fourth line, and the former Bruin put one past an unsuspecting Swayman.
Sturm: “Those two goals were on [Lohrei]. Can’t deny it.”
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) October 22, 2025
In the end, Lohrei would play just 13:45, by far his lowest ice time total of the season. Head coach Marco Sturm is starting to lose trust in the young defenseman, and it might not be long before he spends a game watching from the press box. Right now, Jordan Harris is playing better hockey than Lohrei.
Charlie McAvoy can take some of the blame
Lohrei is at his best when he has a rock-solid defenseman alongside him. That was the case in the first couple of games, but a switch flipped in McAvoy once Hampus Lindholm exited the lineup and he's now back to trying to do too much. McAvoy is at his best when he settles into the game, plays physical, and makes confident plays with the puck. That isn't the case over the past few games.
McAvoy's poor play has sent a ripple effect down to Lohrei. Sturm's lack of trust left Lohrei on the bench late in the third period, and it was his replacement, Andrew Peeke, who kicked the puck into his own net to give the Panthers a late lead in heartbreaking fashion. The Bruins' defense has been a mess over the past few games, and it begins and ends with the alleged "top pair".