Boston Bruins
“I could sit and pout about it, but what’s that really gonna do for me?”
Ahead of Boston’s 2-1 win over the Hurricanes on Saturday, head coach Marco Sturm harped on the mindset that defenseman Mason Lohrei should adopt after getting scratched for the third game in a row.
“He should be pissed. He should be very pissed. He should be upset,” Sturm said of Lohrei. “He works hard. He’s ready. He just waits for his opportunity. That’s the goal. Having him out there and being a little bit different when he comes back.
“Watching from upstairs, watching some other players, what they do well, what they do wrong too. It’s a learning process for him right now. That’s why we do it.”
Relegating players to the ninth floor has been a regular tactic for Sturm through the first month of the 2025-26 — one that has often paid dividends.
Lohrei has no shortage of examples to turn to in Boston’s dressing room for players who have bounced back from a healthy scratch under Sturm’s watch.
Marat Khusnutdinov — who was in and out of Boston’s fourth-line grouping to start the year — scored Boston’s OT win against Buffalo on Thursday, and skated as Boston’s top-line center on Saturday against Carolina.
After getting taken out of the lineup on Oct. 19, Casey Mittelstadt has helped drive play in what is turning into an effective second line for Sturm and the Bruins.
That trio of Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha, and Viktor Arvidsson did most of the heavy lifting on offense during Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Hurricanes, with Mittelstadt and Arvidsson both lighting the lamp.
“I think we’re just playing with speed and making plays — and if mistakes are made, guys are covering for each other and working hard,” Mittelstadt said. “And I think we’ve done a good job sorting things out in the D zone and going up ice from there. So [Sturm] kind of challenged us with the top line of the other team — I feel like we responded well.”
Since Mittelstadt returned to the lineup, that second line has been on a roll — outscoring opponents, 4-2, over 66 minutes of ice time together.
Over those seven games since Mittelstadt was taken out of the lineup, the 26-year-old forward has posted six points (two goals, four assists), while Arvidsson has lit the lamp three times in his last five games.
“I mean, I could sit and pout about it, but what’s that really gonna do for me? I mean, I wanted to be a hockey player my whole life,” Mittelstadt said of getting benched. “I feel very grateful to be able to do this and to be able to wear this sweater.
“So for me, there’s really no time to pout — just come in the next day and and keep working hard. I feel things usually work out when the hard work is there. So just keep going.”
This recent resurgence for Boston’s second line has come at a critical time — keeping Boston’s offense afloat over this recent stretch of strong play while the team’s top line is soldiering on without Elias Lindholm.
If this trio of top-six skaters can continue to produce, what was once thought to be a listless Bruins forward corps could boast a lot more scoring bunch than originally expected — especially once Lindholm returns and both Morgan Geekie and David Pastrank re-kindle their chemistry at 5-on-5 play.
In the big picture, strong seasons from Boston’s second line could further accelerate the team’s retooling efforts if Don Sweeney and Co. opt to sell off pieces before March’s trade deadline.
While Zacha (12 points in 14 games) could net a major return for Boston as a top-six pivot signed through next year, the Bruins might be more inclined with gauging the market on a soon-to-be UFA like Arvidsson or a player with a higher payout ($5.75 million AAV signed through 2026-27) in Mittelstadt.
Both Arvidsson and Mittelstadt may not secure the same package that a contending team would presumably dole out for Zacha. But, if this second line continues to carve up defenses, the Bruins could have the option to maximize their assets if another sell-off becomes a tangible scenario for Sweeney and his staff.
Of course, Sturm and the Bruins aren’t concerning themselves with the trade deadline or any talk of another roster teardown.
Now winners of four of their last five games, the Bruins slowly feel as though the pieces are starting to fall in place — especially when it comes to this critical segment of their forward grouping.
“He has that skill,” Sturm said of Mittelstadt on Monday. “He has those hands to make plays on the wall. So I do believe he feels very comfortable on the wing right now, and as aligned — they’re figuring out little bit how to be connected and supporting each other in every end and playing against the big line and also have success offensively.
“So I give all those three guys a lot of credit, especially Casey with being scratched. And now, since then, he’s one of our better guys.”
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