Bruce Cassidy Adjusts Lineup Ahead of Game 2

Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins

After Game one, there was a lot for head coach Bruce Cassidy to take away. His team played great till a few things didn’t go their way. The Bruins came out hot, getting shot after shot on Carolina goaltender Antti Raanta with a goal being stopped just inches from the line. On the other end of the ice, Linus Ullmark was solid for most of the game, with a lot of the blame coming on the defenseman who repeatedly couldn’t clear Carolina players from the front of the net. With these observations, Bruce Cassidy will go to the drawing board and tinker with his defensive pairing to find a balance that will work and set his team up for the most success.

Sometimes plans change as a head coach looks to find balance. Bruce Cassidy just announced that he would be swapping around two of his top-four defenseman to create a new balanced look, hoping their attributes and skills play off one another. The idea of having Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy on your top pair was a dream come true when the Bruins acquired him at the deadline this year.

Hampus Lindholm will slide down to the second pairing to team up with Brandon Carlo. This move could be what’s needed to get Carlo going and push him to the next level that the Bruins will need to win.

On the top pairing, McAvoy will once again skate with Matt Grzelcyk. This move should work as McAvoy is a warhorse and is not afraid to hit and clear people from the crease, something the undersized Grzelcyk struggles with. This pair, Bruins fans shouldn’t worry about as the analytics speak for themselves about how successful the two are when playing together.

Cassidy also confirmed that he would be riding with game one starter Linus Ullmark as he keeps his faith in the veteran goaltender. Game two kicks off tomorrow night as the Bruins will look to get back on track and tie the series up before returning to Boston for games three and four this weekend.

Stanley Cup Aspirations Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
  2. The Final Countdown
  3. Here Come the Playoffs
  4. Home Stretch
  5. Kevy Cooks

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Kevin Santangelo

Co Host of Cue' the Duck Boats Podcast Writer for Inside the Rink

Leave a Reply

AHL: Eric Dubois Heads Overseas to ERC Ingolstadt

The Manitoba Moose announced on Friday, May 30th, that Eric Dubois has joined the DEL club ERC Ingolstadt as an assistant coach. Dubois, 55, served as an assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose for nine seasons when he joined the club back in 2016. The Moose posted a 292-264-34-23 record in Dubois’ nine seasons as […]

Read More
Kashawn Aitcheson physicality

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson

Kashawn Aitcheson is a 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-shot defenceman from Toronto, Ontario. Born on September 21st, 2006, Aitcheson narrowly missed the cutoff for the 2024 NHL Draft, and is one of the oldest prospects in the 2025 class. Aitcheson has spent the last three seasons with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. He was also selected […]

Read More
Stuart Skinner

Opinion: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Showing Some Steadiness Between the Pipes

When it comes to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, one never knows what they are going to get. On one hand, one might see a version of Skinner, 26, who stands tall, comes up with big saves, does not get out of position, and does not allow soft goals. When this version of Skinner is […]

Read More