The Boston Bruins had an offensive outburst against the Anaheim Ducks. They scored five goals, which is usually enough to win a hockey game. However, the Bruins lost the game by two goals and are looking for answers. Head coach Marco Sturm had a lot to say about the match itself and how it went.
“We are all ashamed. Those breakdowns at big moments, that can’t happen. That’s the frustrating part for me, because we did that [succeeded] in the past. Why not now?”
Defense was a difficult problem for the Bruins. As a unit, they are still making the same mistakes they made during the 2024-2025 season. For those who watched the Bruins last season, it was a tough pill to swallow considering how inept they were on defense. One of the things that needs to change for the Bruins is addressing the top pair, because that isn’t working.
The top pair for the Bruins isn’t working
Overall, the defense was disappointing. One aspect that isn’t working is the top pair of Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei. There were already questions at the start of the season when it came to the defensive combinations. Who would replace Brandon Carlo? Would Lohrei take the next steps? How much difference does a healthy McAvoy make? Well, the last two questions are answered and the results are not the best.
The sample size of nine games is large enough and the duo of McAvoy and Lohrei doesn’t work. When it comes to defense, they are not doing well in suppressing the opposition as they have 6.13 expected goals conceded as a pair. It’s staggeringly high compared to the nearest pair, which stands at 3.87. They were on the ice as a couple for the most goals conceded, which is not ideal as a top couple. Furthermore, the goals they conceded came at inopportune times and could have been avoided.
You can see from the Ducks’ sixth goal of the game that McAvoy and Lohrei got caught up in the coverage. As Lohrei spun, McAvoy headed for the puck, leading to a wide-open Troy Terry for the game-winning goal. Furthermore, Mikael Granlund danced around him in front of the empty net goal. It was not the best period for the top couple.
Sturm was critical of the players this season and was not afraid to speak out about their performances. After their game against the Florida Panthers (October 21), Sturm spoke about Lohrei and his defensive mistakes.
“Those two goals were gone [Lohrei]. I can’t deny it.”
It’s hard to watch your top pair struggle, and the Bruins have now lost six games in a row. With Hampus Lindholm still dealing with an injury and seeing time off the ice, changes had to be made to the top pairing.
How the Bruins can get McAvoy going
Lohrei is at his best when the puck is on his stick. He excels in transition, can move the game forward and is a very attacking defender. The goal is of course to sharpen his defensive game, but perhaps protecting his minutes on the third pair is a better fit for his game overall. He spent time with Andrew Peeke, and that pair struggled during the 2024-2025 season. Although, defensively, so did the entire team.
Related: Bruins struggle to generate offense early in 2025-26
In a perfect world, Lindholm would be paired with McAvoy. Lindholm is the Bruins’ best two-way defender and his 60-yard play is strong. While the couple was just spending 63 minutes together during the 2024-2025 seasonthey did control the pace of the game and had an expected goals percentage (xGF%) of 53.5%. If Lindholm is healthy, that should be the first choice, even if that makes the top pair a “top heavy” pair.
McAvoy is at his best when he can go full throttle and play his game. If he has to worry about covering for Lohrei, he can’t play his game to the fullest. Asking someone to help stabilize the clutch is huge.
To get Lohrei more on track, the Bruins could put Nikita Zadorov on the top pair alongside McAvoy. Is this where he is best suited? Maybe not. But the pair of Zadorov and McAvoy won the score differential battle, while also controlling expected goals share (52.1%).
Ultimately, something has to be done because there are clear signs that it is not working and that change is needed.
Bruin’s top pair needs a shake-up
It’s still early in the season, but changes are needed. The Bruins have not been good defensively and the first pair has struggled mightily. It’s time to make changes and adjustments so that the Bruins have better performances on the ice. Next up is the speedy Colorado Avalanche, who had their way with the Bruins in the first game they played.
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