Boston Bruins
“We’ve got to trust them, and yeah, hopefully they can be the difference moving forward.”
The Bruins have had mixed returns when sticking David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie on the same line this season. Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe
April 13, 2026 | 5:55 PM
3 minutes to read
A day after several key cogs in the Bruins’ lineup got the night off in Columbus, Marco Sturm signaled on Monday that he plans to roll out close to a full squad for Tuesday’s regular-season finale against the New Jersey Devils.
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For Sturm, Game No. 82 offers the last chance to take stock of his lineup with postseason hockey sitting on the horizon.
“Guys were banged up. They got their rest. … If anyone is still whining, I might think about it,” Sturm acknowledged after Monday’s optional skate at TD Garden when asked if more players could get Tuesday off. “But other than that, I want to go with the guys who I think may possibly start in the playoffs.”
If Tuesday stands as a test drive for Sturm’s roster ahead of the playoffs, Sturm and his staff should keep close tabs on a top line that has largely been stuck in neutral for months on end.
Sunday’s 3-2 road victory in Columbus had several positives to draw from across a reshuffled depth chart.
Beyond the promise showcased by James Hagens’ debut, Boston’s fourth-line grouping of Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic teamed up for two goals and five total points.
Joonas Korpisalo twisted the knife against his former club, turning aside 33 of 35 shots to all but snuff out the Blue Jackets’ playoff hopes.
But, Boston’s top forward trio of David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm once again did little to alleviate Sturm’s fears of Boston’s first line being a net negative at 5-on-5 action.
In that line’s 12:07 of 5-on-5 reps on Sunday, Columbus held a 19-9 edge in shot attempts while outscoring Boston, 2-0.
Any line anchored by a playmaking maestro like Pastrnak — just one point away from his fourth-straight 100-point season — and a forward with a blistering shot like Geekie should shred opposing defenses with some regularity.
That O-zone potency was put on display in Boston’s 6-5 loss to the Hurricanes on April 7, when Geekie tallied a hat trick — all at 5-on-5 play.
But, those scoring salvos have been few and far between for a line that should decidedly tilt the ice in Boston’s favor whenever it hops over the boards.
In the Geekie-Lindholm-Pastrnak line’s 333 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time this season, the Bruins have actually been outscored, 19-16, with opponents holding a 187-154 advantage in scoring chances over that extended stretch.
Even if a forward grouping featuring Pastrnak and Geekie isn’t going to be a two-way buzzsaw, the lack of consistent scoring punch should be a given on a line with that much offensive skill.
For those keeping track, a line of Pastrnak, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov have been out on the ice for 15 Bruins goals — in just 188 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time.
Boston’s second line of Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, and Casey Mittelstadt has outscored foes, 42-22, in their 583 minutes of 5-on-5 reps.
Sturm has remained steadfast in his belief in Pastrnak, Geekie, and Lindholm. But, with time running out, he acknowledged Monday that the results will need to come before more drastic measures are taken.
“I still have a few options,” Sturm said of sticking with that top line. “I met with them today to go through some stuff — stuff they have to continue to do and stuff they have to fix, and we’ll see.
“But for me, it will be an easy switch. But we need those guys. … We’ve got to trust them, and yeah, hopefully they can be the difference moving forward.”
Hagens set for Garden debut
One player who could factor into the equation if Sturm breaks up that top line is Hagens, who more than held his own in his NHL debut on Sunday.
Sturm confirmed that the 19-year-old Hagens will play in his debut on Causeway Street.
As far as Hagens’ status as a lineup regular for the postseason?
“ I will give him another crack at it [Tuesday]. He will be playing. And then we’ll decide,” Sturm said. “Who we’re going to play [in the playoffs], too, might be in play. You just never know. He’s definitely going to play tomorrow.”
Hagens’ skating ability and creativity with the puck on his stick complemented a young line that also featured Khusnutdinov and Minten on Sunday.
But, if Sturm opts to reshuffle his forward lines, adding Hagens to a line with Lindholm and Geekie could get the former’s legs moving — while granting a shot-first winger in Geekie a skilled passer to play off of.
The resulting domino effect would also allow Pastrnak to slot back with Minten and Khusnutdinov, further balancing out Boston’s forward corps.
A confident and poised Hagens opens the door for Sturm to get creative if his forward groups stall out during postseason action.
“He did excellent. … He had some opportunities, and never was in trouble,” Sturm said of Hagens’ debut on Sunday. “So I was very pleased with this game.”
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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