The Bruins get back in action Tuesday night in Toronto with some new, albeit veteran, blood in Tyler Johnson while the Maple Leafs will be without captain Auston Matthews (upper body, day-to-day).
The 34-year-old Johnson, who has been with the B’s since coming to training camp on a tryout in September and finally signed his one-year deal ($775,000) on Monday, won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ‘21 and scored 17 goals last year with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Energy, poise, wisdom and just game management,” said coach Jim Montgomery when asked by a reporter in Toronto what he expects from Johnson. “He’s going to make plays, he’s going to be able to helps us on the bench, just another veteran voice who’s won a couple of Cups.”
Montgomery said that Johnson will be skating on a line with Matt Poitras and Trent Frederic. Montgomery didn’t give his full lineup but it would appear that would make Morgan Geekie the odd man out up front along with Max Jones. Montgomery did say that he’d be going with the same defense corps, which would make Mason Lohrei the scratch again for the second straight game.
Jeremy Swayman will face Anthony Stolarz in net. In the teams’ first meeting of the year at the Garden on October 26, the B’s beat the Leafs, 4-3, on Brad Marchand’s overtime goal.
“Every time we play each other, they’re great games. They’re one-goal games or it’s an empty net. I know we’ve gotten great goaltending. It seems like they’re 3-1 or 2-1 games so they’re getting great goaltending. And it’s physical, honest hockey,” said Montgomery.
The B’s, at 6-6-1, are coming off back-to-back shutout wins against Philadelphia and Seattle but it’s been a struggle to find consistency this year. The B’s will be going for their first three-game win streak.
“When you get a couple of wins under your belt, you start to feel a little better about yourself and I think it’s a time to trust them,” said Montgomery. “You talk about preparation and what we’re looking to do to have success tonight, but you trust the players and the leaders to carry that out.”
Puck drop is shortly after 7 p.m.