Ritchie, Bjork Back in for Game 1 Against Tampa

Wingers will flank Coyle on third line as Boston opens second round

By Eric Russo

BostonBruins.com

August 23, 2020

BostonBruins.com -When the Bruins open up their second-round showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night (8 p.m. ET on NBC, 98.5 The Sports Hub), their third line will, once again, have a bit of a different look.

Bruce Cassidy confirmed on Sunday afternoon that he will return to the trio that started the postseason, with Charlie Coyle centering Nick Ritchie and Anders Bjork. Ritchie played the first two games against Carolina and Bjork the first four, before Cassidy opted to sub in Jack Studnicka and Par Lindholm to give his bottom six a quicker and more skilled look.

But with the Lightning now boasting a bit more beef, Cassidy believes that Ritchie and his 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame is a better fit against Tampa. Ritchie showed a willingness to mix things up in the two regular-season matchups against the Lightning after he arrived from Anaheim at the deadline - he had 10 penalty minutes in the teams' fight-filled affair on March 7 - and the round-robin matchup earlier this month.

"Ritchie, we expect to be a little better on the walls," said Cassidy. "With active D for Tampa, as much in the O-zone as anywhere, he has to be aware in his coverage in D zone. Getting inside, Charlie is a good puck protection guy, can separate. Hopefully, Nick can learn to find those soft spots in the O-zone, preferably around the net. Sometimes you can't always just park yourself in the crease if plays die, then you're the last guy out of the zone."

When it comes to Bjork, Cassidy is hoping to see some added finish and assertiveness from the 24-year-old, who landed just four shots on goal in his four games against Carolina.

"It's capitalizing on some opportunities," said Cassidy. "Obviously he's had a few. Just a consistent game. Hound pucks. Be a good complementary player for those guys off the rush. He can certainly get inside ice on his off wing.

"And obviously, defensively like everyone on our team, be accountable and block a shot when it's your turn to block a shot. Get the clear when it's your turn to get the clear. Skate it out when the opportunity is there. We'll see how they do."

Cassidy addresses media before Game 1 against TBL

Kuraly Goes Fourth

With Ritchie and Bjork as the third-line wings, Sean Kuraly will return to his fourth-line center spot between Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner with Lindholm and Studnicka both scratches. Kuraly has had some strong moments on the wing, but Cassidy said that he believes the 27-year-old thrives in the middle, while noting that the fourth-line trio of Nordstrom, Kuraly, and Wagner has also had some previous success checking Tampa's top unit of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov.

"Tough decision because I think they've both handled that job well," Cassidy said of Lindholm and Kuraly. "We moved Sean up to play the wing. I don't think it went as well as we'd like. And that's OK. He does a real good job as a fourth-line center. That's where he's going to start for us. At the end of the day, if they don't relish it, we're in trouble because they do see a lot of their top players. We've built it that way for a number of years now. Kind of been ingrained in them, whoever those three, four guys are.

"I think Sean does relish it. I think everyone likes to score, get a little more offensively involved. But at the end of the day, they need to embrace that mentality first that they're going to make it hard on that trio. Keep them off the scoresheet, pin them in their own end at times and frustrate them. They're almost setting up our next three lines to go over the boards for success."