A shaky performance in Boston’s opening night loss to the Florida Panthers earned second-year defenseman Mason Lohrei a night off two nights later for the Bruins home opener. Lohrei responded with two solid performances during Boston’s next two games.
The 23-year-old Wisconsin native had a goal and two assists against the Los Angeles Kings and the Panthers.
Lohrei’s hustle led to David Pastrnak’s game-winning goal in overtime against Los Angeles on Saturday. Lohrei outraced Kings’ defenseman Brandt Clarke to the loose puck at the redline before swatting it to Matthew Poitras to set up the game-winner. Poitras dished to Pastrnak just inside the Kings’ zone before a give-and-go with Lohrei to close the game.
Despite losing again to the Panthers on Monday, Lohrei recorded his first goal of the young season and picked up an assist. His points bookended the Bruins’ day. An assist on Johnny Beecher’s strike put Boston ahead 1-0 early, and then he scored the game’s last goal that pulled the Bruins back to within a goal of the Panthers 4-3 late in the third period.
Mason Lohrei pulls one back for #NHLBruins . Snipe from the circle @ 14:07. Assisted by Kastelic & Pastrnak #TimeToHunt #FLAvsBOS pic.twitter.com/7qIZC4qEqe
— PuckingOff™ (Jason Scales) (@PuckingOff) October 14, 2024
“That’s just my game,” said Lohrei on Monday. “You come back a little pissed off from that. It’s going to fuel you no matter what. I think just getting to my game and trying to stay focused, playing defense first, and letting the offense take care of itself.”
Boston Head Coach Jim Montgomery sang Lohrei’s praises Saturday after the Kings’ victory.
“Those kids are special young players who are learning in this league,” Montgomery said of Lohrei and Poitras after the overtime heroics. “I love the response from [Mason] Lohrei after not playing the last game.”
Pastrnak knew he had to up his game in overtime skating with Lohrei and Poitras. The trio combined for Pasta’s strike on Saturday.
“In the middle of that shift, I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m on the ice with these kids. I couldn’t even catch up with them,” said Pastrnak. “I have some skating I have to do to catch up with them.”
Monday’s matinee game was a back-and-forth tussle between two clubs with bad blood. Lohrei’s performance was much better in the second go-round versus the Panthers.
“I’m just focusing on playing defense first and hard in my own end,” Lohrei said. “Reading the rush, keeping my gaps good, and you usually spend more time in the offensive zone when that happens.”
That happened when Lohrei struck for his first goal late in the third against Florida.
“Kasty [Mark Kastelic] made a nice play to give me some space at the blue line,” said Lohrei. “I was going to shoot it but saw the guy go down, so I took it wide, saw some space, and shot there.”
On Wednesday, the Bruins begin a three-game road trip in Denver, where they will take on the Colorado Avalanche. The puck drop is scheduled for 9:52 p.m. EST.
