The Boston Bruins selected Mason Lohrei, a big defenseman with considerable offensive flair, in the 2020 NHL Draft. They wanted him to become a mainstay on their blue line.
This season, Lohrei made his NHL debut with the Bruins, playing in 41 games. The Bruins were disappointed with his scoring output, and he clearly struggled with his development in the first few games of the season. After a while, Lohrei was reassigned to AHL Providence, where he participated in 21 games and significantly improved his offensive output. For the most part, Lohrei’s future with the Boston Bruins appeared bright.
Montgomery and Sweeney had not given Lohrei a second thought at the beginning of the playoffs. Following Andrew Peeke’s untimely injury, Lohrei had his opportunity to shine going into Game 3 in Toronto. He was visible all over the ice for the remainder of the series, moving fluidly, handling the puck through traffic, and completing stretch passes. There aren’t any rookie nerves, at least not that I could see on the rink.
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