After defeating the Montreal Canadiens in overtime on Thursday night, the Boston Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden on Saturday night (March 16). In this edition of Bruins News & Rumors, a ceremony will be held prior to the game against the Flyers, Jake DeBrusk is relieved to still be wearing the Black and Gold, a prospect made an impressive comeback to the lineup against Montreal, and more.
Bruins will honor James van Riemsdyk vs. Philadelphia.
Before the Bruins and Flyers face off, veteran James van Riemsdyk will be honored for his 1,000th career game on March 5 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. Before the game, the organization announced that he will be honored for his performance against his previous team.
Following the morning skate, van Riemsdyk stated that he will have over 80 friends, family, old coaches, and teammates present. Going into the game against Philadelphia, he has 311 goals and 318 assists in his career, with 11 goals and 27 assists for the Bruins this season.
Bruins’ Lineup Changes vs. Flyers
The Bruins’ lineup will look different against the Flyers than it did against the Canadiens. Matt Grzelcyk and van Riemsdyk both missed the game due to illness, but are expected to return. Jakub Lauko, Mason Lohrei, and Kevin Shattenkirk will all miss the game against Philadelphia, according to second-year head coach Jim Montgomery, who said certain players are sick or injured. Lohrei and Shattenkirk are healthy scratches. Jeremy Swayman will receive the start in goal.
Jake DeBrusk is happy to still be in Boston.
If there is one guy in the Bruins locker room who is relieved that the trade deadline passes each year and he is still here, it is DeBrusk. The 14th overall pick in the 2015 Entry Draft appears to have been mentioned in speculations building up to the deadline, but as with the previous season, the deadline passed with him still wearing the Spoked-B.
“I’ve been through that before, so no, I believe everyone in this room can agree there’s a sense of relief and knowing where you’re going to be. Obviously, you see guys coming in, all enthusiastic, and it’s just that time of year again, right? So, obviously, there have been a lot of games in between, and it appears to be a busy schedule, but it has been fantastic.”
Jake DeBrusk (‘With trade deadline behind them, Jake DeBrusk and Linus Ullmark can focus on hockey,’ Boston Globe, March 16, 2023)
It is unclear whether DeBrusk will return to Boston in 2024-25 because he is a free agent at the end of the season and has not signed a contract extension with the organization. If he enters the open market, he will have lots of suitors, including teams from Western Canada.
John Beecher performs exceptionally well in return.
With the virus spreading across the locker room, Boston recalled John Beecher from the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) ahead of their trip to Montreal, where the former University of Michigan standout faced the Canadiens. In the triumph, he played 11:39 and won 73% of his face-offs, which should come as no surprise.
“Johnny Beecher had a great backcheck,” Montgomery added. “He was excellent on the faceoff dot, did a great job on the PK, and I loved how hard he went to the net front.”
None of this should come as a surprise, and he should stay in Boston for the remainder of the season, especially given the Bruins’ face-off woes and Matthew Poitras’ absence. He contributes more to the team than Jesper Boqvist simply by routinely winning face-offs and effectively killing penalties.
What lies next for the Bruins?
The Boston Bruins’ three-game homestand begins with the Philadelphia game, followed by games against the Ottawa Senators (March 19) and the New York Rangers (March 21). The Black and Gold will pay a premium for points in the Atlantic Division, behind the Florida Panthers by one point.
