Boston Bruins
“This kid didn’t do anything wrong. I’m very happy where he’s at.”
Marco Sturm and the Bruins are changing things up before Game 4. John Tlumacki/Boston Globe
April 25, 2026 | 3:50 PM
3 minutes to read
Marco Sturm appears to be making some changes ahead of Game 4.
As the Bruins try to even up their best-of-seven series against Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, Boston rolled out a reworked lineup during Saturday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena.
As part of the changes, Lukas Reichel replaced James Hagens on the third line, while Jordan Harris slotted in for Mason Lohrei on a D pairing with Hampus Lindholm.
Here’s a look at Boston’s projected Game 4 lineup:
Geekie-Lindholm-Pastrnak
Mittelstadt-Zacha-Arvidsson
Reichel-Minten-Khusnutdinov
Jeannot-Kuraly-Kastelic
Aspirot-McAvoy
Lindholm-Harris
Zadorov-Peeke
Swayman
Hagens will be the lone odd man out up front, with the 19-year-old forward getting at least one game off after some tough sledding in Game 3. The blue-chip prospect had some bad luck on Thursday, with Buffalo’s first goal of the night coming off a deflection that careened off Hagens’ stick.
Hagens also had a few O-zone flubs, including a whiff on a Grade-A look on the power play.
Despite the optics of sitting out such a talented forward, Sturm stressed that Hagens will likely draw back in at some point — praising what the unproven skater has shown so far through just five total games against NHL competition.
“James didn’t do anything wrong, nothing,” Sturm said Saturday afternoon. “This kid is 19 years old. I started as a scratch in my first playoff. Maybe that’s in my mind too. He did more than I thought coming in. Tremendous job, tremendous player.
“We’re going to have a great player. It’s hard. It’s a tough league. … We take a breather. We’re probably going to use him again in the future. I thought it was the right thing to do, to just take a breath. … It’s better for the kid and better for the team. But this kid didn’t do anything wrong. I’m very happy where he’s at.”
Marco Sturm on James Hagens drawing out of the lineup:
“James didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing. This kid is 19 years old. … It’s a tough league. … We’ll take a breather and I’m gonna use him again in the future.” pic.twitter.com/ElgU0ZcsAy
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) April 25, 2026
The writing was on the wall that Hagens was going to be the odd man out on Sunday. But the choice of Reichel is an interesting one, especially over forwards who operate with a bit more sandpaper like Mikey Eyssimont and Alex Steeves.
But Sturm harped on the need for Boston to keep up the pace against a high-octane Buffalo roster — something that Reichel could provide. The 23-year-old forward posted three points (one goal, two assists) over 10 games with the Bruins, although two of those points were in his Boston debut on March 19.
“Lukas has something we don’t really have, that’s high-end skill and speed, that’s what we hope from him,” Sturm said. “He has to dig deep, he has to compete, but those are things you can’t teach. We’re hoping to get more into the forecheck and get some pucks back, and that’s why we feel good about him, and also on the power play.”
On the blue line, Lohrei has had a series to forget so far — sporting a team-worst minus-4 rating and laboring when it comes to moving the puck and limiting miscues against Buffalo’s fleet-footed forwards.
Harris fits the bill as a mobile defenseman who can skate the puck out of danger and can inject some offense down the other end of the ice. But Harris getting the nod over Henri Jokiharju is another interesting decision, considering that Harris has only played in three games since the start of November after fracturing his ankle.
Harris, a Haverhill native who played at Northeastern, is relishing the opportunity to play in what would be his postseason debut — especially at TD Garden.
“That’s what I grew up watching, right? It’s every kid from Massachusetts’ dream to be able to get out there,” Harris said. “Seeing the crowd that we had the other day just really makes it that much more exciting.”
One of the more surprising changes for Boston’s lineup was what Sturm didn’t do in the top-six grouping — as the Bruins’ first line of Elias Lindholm, Morgan Geekie, and David Pastrnak remained intact.
While Sturm could break up that line if their 5-on-5 scoring punch continues to stall, he once again stressed that the onus will fall on Boston’s top players to elevate their game.
“The best players [have] got to be the best players,” Sturm said. “That’s just the bottom line. We always say that. But it’s true, especially when it’s playoff time. Doesn’t have to be sometimes five-on-five, but maybe it’s on the power play or maybe something else.
“But these guys, it’s part of the business. Those guys [have] to show up every night, and if they’re not, it’s going to get hard, and that’s why we need those guys. I thought the fourth line was by far the best line last game. And that can’t happen. So these guys have got to step up.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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