Practice Report: Bruins Working to ‘Get Back to Our Structure’

BUFFALO –– The Boston Bruins got right back to work on Sunday.

After falling 4-1 to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, the B’s hit the ice at KeyBank Center once again the following morning for a full-team practice before heading to Calgary.

​“It was good. Obviously, we got away from our game a little bit. It has kind of slipped over the last few, especially before the break,” Morgan Geekie said. “It was good today to just hammer in on some things that we felt were kind of fading, and just get back to our structure and the systems we rely on.”

The Bruins face the Flames on Monday in the second matchup of their five-game road trip. Here is everything you need to know from Sunday’s skate.​

Aspirot Joins Team on Road

Jonathan Aspirot joined the Bruins for the road trip and was a full participant in Sunday’s practice. The 26-year-old defenseman suffered an upper-body injury on Dec. 11 against the Winnipeg Jets and has not played since.

“It feels pretty good. Happy to be out here with the boys and practice with them. It is always more fun being with the whole group. Happy to be here,” Aspirot said. “I’ve been working hard with [Kevin Neeld] in the gym and stuff…Get in early, get some treatment, work on yourself as much as possible. Do all the little things you can to help it get better sooner.”

Aspirot – who signed a one-year, two-way deal with Boston in July – was recalled from Providence in late October and skated in 19 games with the Bruins before getting hurt. He has one goal and was averaging 16:07 of ice time per night.

“It’s tough when you don’t practice. It’s got to be hard for him, too. I think that’s only the second or third time – first real one, the other one was just a pre-game skate,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “We just want to give him some time, and hopefully he will be back soon.”

Henri Jokiharju is also on the trip and practiced on Sunday. The defenseman has been sidelined since Nov. 28 with an injury. Sturm said there is no confirmed timeline on when Jokiharju or Aspirot could return, but it is good to have them with the team again.

Back to the Basics

​Before the recent adversity, the Bruins strung together wins in five of six games. They are trying to focus on the things that made them successful during that stretch – specifically, playing as a unit.

“We were due for a practice like that. It’s been a while. Hopefully, guys got the message we delivered this morning. I thought it was a good practice,” Sturm said. “The only chance we got to be a good hockey team is that we all are on the same page.”

Geekie, who leads Boston with 25 goals, picked up an assist on Saturday night against the Sabres and feels confident the B’s can turn things around.

“Today, just try to get back to the way we used to play. Outside of this six-game stretch, we were building something pretty good at the start of December,” Geekie said. “It’s a tough schedule, but everybody is in the same boat. Physically, everybody is a bit worn down just with the amount of games before Christmas and stuff. But it’s the way the league is this year. I think when that starts to go, you have to rely on what you know mentally.”

Shaking Up the Lines​

The Bruins’ forward group had a different look during Sunday’s practice.​

“It is a results-driven league, and we’re not producing. We’re not winning games at the end of the day – it’s tough to keep things the same,” Geekie said. “It’s always good. We have a great group of guys in here, and we’re all comfortable playing with each other.”

Sturm put the third line of Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten and David Pastrnak back together, while Alex Steeves moved to the first line alongside Elias Lindholm and Geekie. Boston has used these combinations before this season.​

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Sturm said. “I really don’t know if they’re going to stick together, but we wanted to change something today. They’ve been together for a few games.”​

Khusnutdinov, Minten and Pastrnak were put together on Dec. 9 against the St. Louis Blues, and combined for six points – including a two-goal showing from Minten and a three-assist night from Pastrnak.

Minten – the 21-year-old forward – has been finding consistency through the longest NHL stint of his career.

“There’s not too many times this season [93] is on my list because of a bad mistake. We are very lucky to have him. His game, I think, is just going to get better and better,” Sturm said of Minten. “He’s one of the guys that does the little things right. Maybe it doesn’t show on the scoresheet, but it affects his linemates and the guys who are on the ice. I’m very impressed with him.”