The Bruins just announced that Matt Poitras will re-enter the lineup tonight when Boston hosts the Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden.
It's a bottom-six tweak for a team that sits first in the Atlantic at 10-4-1. Marco Sturm's group comes in off a 5-4 overtime win over Chicago on Saturday, and Vegas arrives after a 5-2 loss to New Jersey on Friday.
Jim McBride's morning skate lines show where Poitras lands, and Jeremy Swayman is in goal. Here is the full group.
The Bruins' official account posted its Pregame Rundown noting that Poitras will reenter the lineup against the Golden Knights.
Poitras has played 11 of Boston's 15 games this season and has 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points, with a +3 rating. He centers the fourth line between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic.
Sean Kuraly is the visible extra forward on the skate lines. The lines don't say more than that, so the lineup shuffle stays a skate-line read until puck drop.
What the Bruins lines say about Boston's depth
Start with the top of the order. David Pastrnak leads the team with 19 points, and he skates with John-Jason Peterka and Pavel Zacha again. Our look at Marco Sturm leaning on Pastrnak's line raised the usage question last week, and Sturm hasn't touched it.
The third line is worth watching. Casey Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm flank rookie James Hagens, who has 11 points in 15 games. Our piece on James Hagens and Elias Lindholm showed how much the kid is learning from his veteran center.
Credit the structure. Boston's goal differential is +19, and the Bruins are 6-1-0 at home. Poitras is a young, quick center who brings some skill to a physical fourth line, and that's a sensible way to use him.
Vegas will test it. The Golden Knights are 9-5-1 and sit second in the Pacific, and they will be looking to bounce back from Friday's loss.
The Bruins have also shown they can win ugly. Saturday's overtime win over Chicago was a one-goal game, and a similar finish tonight would leave Sturm with lots to sort out on the back end.
