As the calendar turns to April, it is do-or-die hockey every night around the NHL in terms of the postseason races. Every result for a team in contention is valuable. Jobs are on the line for players, coaches, and management.
Last Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights fired former Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy out of nowhere while they were in a Western Conference playoff spot. That was odd timing. Even more odd was the decision the New York Islanders made on early Sunday afternoon.
After two straight losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes, they fired coach Patrick Roy and named Peter DeBoer the head coach going forward. They gave him a long-term contract. Speaking before Boston’s 2-1 overtime loss to Philadelphia, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm joked about his future, but also discussed how it’s becoming a trend.
“Don’t tell me it’s me next,” said Sturm. “Hopefully it’s not a trend.”
I mean, he’s safe going forward; however, given Don Sweeney and Cam Neely’s history with head coaches, does he feel safe?
Mason Lohrei returns to Bruins lineup
Before the Bruins 3-1 loss on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida, Sturm said that defenseman Mason Lohrei was going to take warmups and see if he could return to the lineup. He did, but missed another game. Jordan Harris subbed in for him.
He returned to the lineup against the Flyers. He logged 16:16 in his return with one shot, three blocks, and a pair of giveaways. He looked like someone who had been out of the lineup for a while.
Providence signs prospect
Providence Bruins GM Evan Gold signed Quinnipiac defenseman Will Gilson to an amateur tryout after his college season ended. The 24-year-old played for Quinnipiac, RPI, and Alaska-Anchorage during his career.
As far as the P-Bruins go, they dropped a 2-1 decision to Rochester in overtime with defenseman Victor Soderstrom scoring the lone goal off an assist from James Hagens. Goalie Michael DiPietro turned back 19 shots as Providence fell to 51-14-2-0. They will visit the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday night. Will Hagens be in the lineup there or getting ready to suit up for Boston on Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Lightning?
