The Boston Bruins face off against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night as Trent Frederic is a healthy scratch while Matt Grzelcyk returns to the lineup. Jesper Froden was recalled from Providence and will play on the second line, while Marc McLaughlin will move down to the fourth line.
Bruce Cassidy says it wasn’t in the result of his penalty in their recent 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, and says his line — the second line of Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith — hasn’t been the strongest as of late.
“We talked to Freddy,” Cassidy said. “It wasn’t one incident. We talked in Tampa — his game was slipping a bit, his details. So, I’m trying to give him a chance to work out of it. That line in general, I think, their game isn’t where it was a couple of weeks ago.”
McLaughlin will get his first look of the season at the center position — the position he mainly played at Boston College, and his natural position. He’ll be on the fourth line with Nick Foligno and Curtis Lazar.
Grzelcyk returns from his injury but Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo are both out. Grzelcyk will play with Josh Brown, and Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton — a pairing that has been together for the majority of the season — will play with each other on the third D-pair.
Cassidy talked the decision to go with Froden, who hasn’t skated with Boston since March 3, over Oskar Steen.
“That was a conversation I have with Ryan Mougenel, the coach in Providence, Donny (Sweeney). They see them more than I do,” Cassidy said. And it could have been either or, to be honest with you.
“I went with Froden at the end because I saw him on our Western trip and I thought he made plays off the rush as well as anybody that’s been in that role,” Cassidy continued. “I think that’s a bit of what (Taylor) Hall and (Erik) Haula are used to with (David Pastrnak).”
Linus Ullmark will be in net for Boston as well.
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