Lohrei time vs. Leafs

If not for what happened last spring that made this past Monday’s game feel so important, tonight would be the biggest game of the new season.

The Bruins have barely faced their own division, but with the Red Wings being here last weekend and the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, that’s two occasions that by 9:45 pm ET will be in the books.

Compromising this game as a showdown or measuring stick or whatever other significance can be applied beyond the two points is the fact the host Bruins will play it without their top defense pairing and one of the third-pairing defensemen.

Charlie McAvoy got four games for his head hit on Florida D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Matt Grzelcyk had already gone out of the lineup the same night an upper-body injury that is likely to hold him out a couple of weeks, and Derek Forbort was announced as day-to-day.

Therefore, tonight the second pairing of Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo are broken up to anchor separate pairings.

Thus the anticipated recall of Mason Lohrei, the last player cut from training camp, is happening now rather than later in the season. What comes of it will be determined by his performance(s). Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon are more likely to high-tail it back to Providence at the NHL team’s next convenience.

Carlo will play with Lohrei, and Lindholm with Kevin Shattenkirk. Mitchell and Wotherspoon will start out as a third pairing.

Game summary:

THIRD PERIOD

Lohrei started the third period in a pairing with Shattenkirk, and Carlo and Lindholm came on together to follow.

Oskar Steen dumped the puck past Mark Giordano, chased him down to the corner and dumped the 40-year-old defenseman, who plays an incredibly sturdy game for his miles.

Marchand caused the Maple Leafs some havoc.

Lohrei had a chance at the right post. Samsonov shut off the opportunity, but the TD Garden crowd screamed in protest when the puck was loose and the whistle had blown the play dead.

Fans thought Toronto was getting a penalty, but the official was only summoning the Toronto player that had changed out to come back out for the D-zone faceoff after the Leafs had iced the puck.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery went with a speed line of Marchand, DeBrusk and Johnny Beecher, and the three gave Toronto trouble.

Meantime, anytime Marner and Matthews or Nylander and Tavares are out there, the Maple Leafs are one deft move away from a go-ahead goal. Dangerous skills.

Marchand got away with a high hook on former teammate Tyler Bertuzzi. One of Bertuzzi’s challenges in playing with the Leafs is his lack of speed. He seems to have trouble keeping up with their pace of play.

Nylander went off for interference at 8:24, putting the Bruins on the powerplay.

Marchand wanted a second hook on Giordano right off the faceoff but didn’t get it. 17,565 referees disagreed.

The Bruins relayed to Pastrnak for his one-timer against the grain, but Samsonov was able to snare it. Zach fanned from the left circle, then Swayman had to made a short-handed save.

Great pressure down the stretch by the Bruins, keyed by Marchand and Poitras and Pastrnak.

Shots after regulation: 35-35

OVERTIME

Marchand had an early chance, but Samsonov has been excellent in the TO net.

The Leafs took possession and went into a stall possession, finally Morgan Rielly ripped a shot off the left post and out.

Then Nylander took down Pastrnak, and the Bruins had a 4/3 powerplay with 2:35 remaining in the OT.

Montgomery called timeout to get his team re-energized and strategized.

A clean entry by DeBrusk led to a Marchand shot that Samsonov caught.

This one goes to a shootout. That’ll be it for this game blog.

SECOND PERIOD

Carlo had a similar puck possession to open the second period, and Matt Poitras had a whack at the puck, but Ilya Samsonov turned him away. Trent Frederick had a chance on the next shift, but the Maple Leafs countered and stormed the Boston end with Parker Wotherspoon and Ian Mitchell under siege. Jeremy Swayman covered up.

Jake DeBrusk made it 2-0 less than two minutes (1:36) into the middle period, finishing up on a rebound of a chance he sprung Marchand onto. Charlie Coyle factored in the turnover, setting DeBrusk and Marchand on course.

The Leafs have a spark here and spark there, but no abiding presence in their game so far.

Pastrnak went off for tripping TJ Brodie at 2:38.

On the powerplay, John Tavares made some nifty stickhandling maneuvers, but Carlo picked off his cross-ice pass.

Noah Gregor was alone on Swayman after a pass went off Danton Heinen’s skate, but the Toronto fourth-liner lifted his backhand over the net.

Lohrei went straight to Zacha, sending him in all alone, but Samsonov made the save. Moments later, Mitch Marner made a pretty move on Carlo to snap a perfect shot from the slot that beat Swayman inside the right post, 2-1. (Lohrei was caught up ice on this goal, but not for bad judgment. He made a play that almost put the Bruins up 3-0, and the question is why Carlo was slashing across the ice as Marner bore down in the slot. Other Bruins’ positioning is more applicable to the goal than Lohrei’s.

Swayman made another big stop, but Auston Matthews tied it up at 7:34.

Suddenly, the Leafs smelled blood and the Bruins iced the puck.

Carlo was whistled off for tackling a lingering William Nylander, as the Bruins were taking the puck up ice at 9:04.

Shots after two: Toronto 27-25

FIRST PERIOD

David Pastrnak made an early hit on Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano, and then he made one late in the period on John Klingberg.

Skating the puck into the right circle, Brandon Carlo found Pavel Zacha for a redirect from the slot with 1:09 remaining in the first period for a 1-0 Boston lead.

Toronto defenseman Timothy Liljegren went down awkwardly in the corner with Brad Marchand at the scene, prompting speculation as to the nature of their entanglement. No penalty was called on the play, Liljegren left under his own power but was shaking up.

Shots after one: 14-12 Bruins