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Bruins’ David Krejci to take warmups ahead of Game 6; Linus Ullmark starts in net
"You gotta check boxes a little quicker in the playoffs. But we're uncertain of his availability."
SUNRISE, Fla. — As the Bruins’ morning skate wrapped up at FLA Live Arena on Friday, David Krejci took to center ice to help lead the post-practice stretch.
For Krejci, it was a fitting honor — considering Friday marks his 37th birthday.
The playmaking pivot is hoping to have much more to celebrate on Friday night.
Not only do the Bruins have a chance to clinch their first-round series against the Panthers in Game 6, but Krejci will try to return to the lineup for the first time since April 19.
Krejci, who has missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury, will take part in warmups ahead of Game 6. His availability in Friday’s game depends on how he feels in the immediate aftermath.
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“Krejci — he’s checking boxes. He’s gonna take warm-ups, and then we’ll see,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Krejci. “You gotta check boxes a little quicker in the playoffs. But we’re uncertain of his availability.”
Even though both Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha have more than held their own in this series when pressed into top-six minutes, Krejci’s return would add some much-needed stability to Boston’s lineup.
The Panthers generated plenty of O-zone reps against an offensive forward grouping of Krejci, David Pastrnak, and Tyler Bertuzzi in Games 1 and 2. But reuniting the tried-and-true “Czeching Line” of Krejci, Pastrnak, and Zacha could be an avenue Montgomery turns to in order to get Pastrnak rolling at 5v5 play.
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“I believe in every single guy in here and we obviously watched some video,” Krejci said. “We know what we can be better at and we’ll try to do that tonight. If I’ll be in, then I’ll try to [do] my best and help the team as much as I can.”
With a ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs up for grabs, Montgomery isn’t planning on putting his lines in a blender. Boston’s bench boss opted for a different approach in Wednesday’s Game 5 defeat, with nine different forward trios logging at least 1:30 of 5v5 ice time.
Unsurprisingly, it was the forward lines who logged the most reps together during regular-season action that gained O-zone traction in Game 5. During the 5:37 of 5v5 reps where Boston’s top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Jake DeBrusk was reunited, the Bruins held a 13-1 edge in shot attempts.
“I think for the majority of it, we’ve been really happy with our in-game management,” Montgomery said. “The lines now are gonna go back to some of what we believe is where people’s comfort zones are with who they played with the most.
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“Last game with Bergy coming back and us having success, that changed what the lines look like to start the game, but quickly we went back to what’s familiar. We thought the second and third periods, because the lines were familiar, we had a lot of moving play towards their end.”
Additional lineup notes
Linus Ullmark will get the start in net once again for Game 6. The veteran netminder did not take part in morning skate on Friday, but is getting the green light for his sixth-consecutive start.
Despite his costly turnover that led to Matthew Tkachuk’s game-winning tally in Game 5, Ullmark had the full support of Boston’s dressing room on Wednesday.
“He’s been a rock for us all year,” Bergeron said of Ullmark after Game 5. “He’s given us a chance to win every time he’s stepped out there. He can’t be too hard on himself. We’re a team. It’s about what we do together on the ice as a unit of six and go from there.
“To me, I feel you win and you lose as a team. It is what it is. He’s a tremendous goalie, he’s probably the best goalie in the NHL and probably going to win the Vezina this year. We’re all there for each other and we’ve always said that, so chins up for him.”
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Defensively, the Bruins will switch things up ahead of Game 6. Connor Clifton will slot into the lineup, while Matt Grzelcyk will draw out. Charlie McAvoy also did not participate in the morning skate on Friday, but Montgomery said Boston’s top blueliner will be good to go at puck drop.
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