Marco Sturm confirmed this morning that Jeremy Swayman starts for the Bruins tonight against the Minnesota Wild, according to Boston Hockey Now.
That's a quick turnaround for the goalie. Swayman was pulled in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Montreal, and his glare at Sturm on the way to the bench was the story of the night.
Sturm didn't wait long to give him the net again.
There's a change on defense, too. Connor Clifton is in alongside Frederic Brunet, and Mason Lohrei is out. The rest of the lineup stays the same as Thursday, per the same report.
Nothing in the reports says why Lohrei is sitting. That matters, because his name keeps coming up in Rick Pagnotta's trade talk, and a scratch the same week will get people talking.
Lohrei was on the ice early with Jonathan Aspirot and Sean Kuraly for the optional skate, according to Jack Studley.
Lohrei has 3 goals and 3 assists in 19 games this season, so he has been in the lineup every night until now. Clifton has played just 7 games.
Does Sturm's goalie decision settle the Bruins crease?
Not by itself, but it tells you where Sturm stands. He pulled Swayman Thursday, saw the reaction, and still goes back to him on a Saturday against the second-best record in the league. That's a vote of confidence, and Swayman's 14 games played show he's still the guy carrying the workload.
We think it's the right call. Benching a goalie after one bad night, especially against a Wild team that is 8-0-2 in its last 10, would have created a bigger problem than the one it solved.
Boston comes in at 13-5-1, third in the Atlantic, and it lost its last game. Minnesota is 14-3-4 and sits first in the Central.
Brock Faber is expected back for the Wild after being listed on injured reserve with an expected return of at least November 14, which gives Minnesota's blue line a boost.
The Bruins' defense is the part to watch tonight, with Clifton and Brunet paired and Lohrei watching from upstairs. If Sturm gives any more detail on the Lohrei decision, we'll pass it along.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Was Sturm right to scratch Mason Lohrei tonight?
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