Need to Know: Bruins vs. Senators

BOSTON - The Bruins get another shot at clinching a playoff berth on Thursday night as they welcome the Ottawa Senators to TD Garden. And while they'll once again be without David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk is likely to return to the lineup after missing last game with an upper-body injury.
"Grizz looks good," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "We intend on him playing tonight. So, he'll go with [Josh] Brown, [Mike] Reilly and [Charlie] McAvoy and [Derek] Forbort and [Connor] Clifton, and we'll see how that shakes out as the game goes along."

There will be several other changes up front for the Bruins against the Sens as Jesper Froden - recalled from Providence on Wednesday - subs into the lineup as the second-line right wing. As such, Marc McLaughlin will shift down to be the fourth-line center, while Tomas Nosek will bump up to be the third-line left wing in place of Trent Frederic, who will be a healthy scratch.
"We talked to Freddy…it wasn't one incident," Cassidy said of Frederic's costly penalty against St. Louis on Tuesday night. "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…it's not Freddy, to be honest with you.
"Coyle and Smitty have been around a long time. They're the guys that make that line go. Fred is a good complementary piece on there. So hopefully maybe just one player out it'll get them going a little bit.
"And hopefully get Freddy is right back in. He's been a good, good player for us. He's helped that line. That's the decision today."
McLaughlin, meanwhile, will get his first meaningful look at center - his natural position - at the NHL level after playing his first five games predominantly as a right wing.
"I'm definitely comfortable in that spot," said McLaughlin. "It's obviously great getting a chance to play with [Curtis] Lazar and [Nick] Foligno - two strong, defensively-minded players who play the game the right way and play hard. I'm sure they'll help me out a lot.
"There's definitely more responsibility playing the D-zone, especially. Just coming back hard and being in control and being in the right spots is what I'm trying to focus on tonight."

Froden will be playing his first game with the big club since March 3 against Vegas, which concluded a stretch of four straight contests with Boston. It was his play during that stint that Cassidy had in mind when deciding which player would get the call this time around.
"That was a conversation I have with Ryan Mougenel, the coach in Providence, Donny [Sweeney]. They see them more than I do. And it could have been either or, to be honest with you," Cassidy said of the decision between Froden and Oskar Steen.
"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. I think that's a bit of what [Taylor] Hall and [Erik] Haula are used to with [David Pastrnak]."

Honoring Champions

Before the game, the Bruins will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club's 1971-72 Stanley Cup championship team with an honorary puck drop and video feature. Several members of that team will be in attendance for the ceremony, including Don Awrey, Johnny Bucyk, Ken Hodge, Don Marcotte, Garry Peters, Dallas Smith, Rick Smith, and family members of Ace Bailey and Johnny 'Pie' McKenzie.
"We had so much fun in the era that I played with the team that we had and the guys we had," said Hodge. "It was a great atmosphere to be a part of the Boston Bruins back at that time. And as you can tell, the explosion of hockey that took place with MDC rinks being built, everything - it was a great era to be around New England."

Opposing View

The Senators (27-40-6, 60 points) snapped a three-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings in Detroit behind a three-point outing (two goals, assist) from Tim Stutzle. The second-year forward ranks third on the Senators in scoring with 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 70 games, behind Brady Tkachuk (26-30-56) and Josh Norris (32-17-49).
Goalie Anton Forsberg will get the start for Ottawa. The netminder is 18-16-3 with a 2.75 goals against average and .917 save percentage in 40 games this season.

Wait, There's More

Thursday's Projected Lineup

FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall - Erik Haula - Jesper Froden
Tomas Nosek - Charlie Coyle - Craig Smith
Nick Foligno - Marc McLaughlin - Curtis Lazar
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Reilly - Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk - Josh Brown
Derek Forbort - Connor Clifton
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman