Practice Report: Bruins Gearing Up for Rematch with Toronto 

BOSTON –– The Boston Bruins returned to Warrior Ice Arena on Monday for practice.​

The B’s are coming off a 5-3 win over Toronto on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, and will host the Maple Leafs on Tuesday at TD Garden. Boston is looking to extend its six-game win streak.

​Here are the main storylines from Monday’s skate ahead of another week of Bruins hockey.

Lohrei Working Way Back Into Lineup

Mason Lohrei was challenged to learn from afar. The 24-year-old defenseman was a healthy scratch for five games and reentered the lineup on Saturday in Toronto. Lohrei, who skated with Jonathan Aspirot, posted two assists through 14:49 of ice time in his return.

“You want to be consistent. One game doesn’t mean anything – can he do it again? I thought he had a good response; he had a good game. And we need another one and another one and another one,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “Keep it simple, but most importantly, keep it consistent.”

Lohrei was on the third pair with Henri Jokiharju during Monday’s practice, while Aspirot was the extra defenseman. Charlie McAvoy was also back with the group after missing Saturday’s game due to a family matter.

Veterans like Nikita Zadorov have been in Lohrei’s shoes before and are helping him work through the adversity.

“It’s tough. It was really tough, I think, for him. Obviously, it’s been five games, feels like it’s been a year when you haven't played. I’ve been in the same situation in Calgary, I missed six games straight at some point in my career,” Zadorov said.

“I know how he felt for sure, and it was a great response. It’s a tough league to be in. You have to contribute, especially on this team. There’s always guys fighting for the spot, there’s always hungry young players, there’s always not much opportunity. I think it was great to see him step in like that and have a really solid game in Toronto.”

Alex Steeves Stepping Up​

The Bruins have had to rely on their depth as of late.

​Marat Khusnutdinov has filled in – and been a standout – as the first line center between Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak as Elias Lindholm (who was placed on IR with a lower-body injury on Saturday) recovers.

​Now, Alex Steeves is another name that has helped the forward group stay productive while dealing with injury. Casey Mittelstadt suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, and Sturm said the forward will be out week to week.

“I think he’s doing better than we expected,” Sturm said. “So hopefully we can get him on the ice as soon as possible.”​

Steeves slotted onto the left wing on the second line due to Mittelstadt’s absence. The 25-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with Boston in July, played a total of 13:22 against the Maple Leafs on Saturday and was on the ice for Viktor Arvidsson's goal, which gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead in the first period.

​“He was good. That is what I pictured when we called him up,” Sturm said. “What we need and what we get out of him. It doesn’t matter which line he is going to play; he is playing the right way. He is playing with a lot of energy, a lot of details. He fit right into our group and that line.”

Steeves remained on a line with Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha during Monday’s practice.

Fraser Minten Continues to Impress

It was only fitting that Fraser Minten scored the goal that soundly secured the Bruins’ win in Toronto on Saturday.

The 21-year-old forward – whose wrist shot made 5-3 at 16:58 of the third – was a second-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2022 and got traded to Boston from Toronto in March. It was not only a satisfying play against his former team, but a culmination of the strong hockey that Minten has put together this month.

“He definitely has the swagger, I can tell you that,” Sturm said. “It’s a combination of you have to give him time, first of all. I think getting experience every day, every game – that just helps those kids to grow. He’s still a kid, so he needs to grow and needs to learn.”​

Minten has six points (three goals, three assists) through 17 games, and is on the penalty kill, too. He is centering the third line between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic.

“His stick. I mean, the guys coming into the league, it’s the young players, they have their stick on their shoulders, they don’t really protect the passing lanes, they don’t really read the game like [Minten] does,” Zadorov said. “It’s unbelievable. I was actually watching the whole game against Toronto – his position, the way his stick was on the ice, it was fun to watch. He’s a great player, great addition to our team. Really happy for him.”