Bruins Make Roster Move Ahead Of Pivotal Rematch With Lightning
The Boston Bruins have slipped in the Eastern Conference standings this month and made a roster move Monday as they look to stop their slide.
The Bruins announced they recalled veteran forward Vinni Lettieri for the first time this season. Marc McLaughlin was assigned to Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence after clearing waivers in a corresponding move.
Lettieri was a point-per-game player with Providence this season, notching 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points. He’ll now try to bring that scoring ability to the Bruins, who take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a game that could feature some bad blood Tuesday night at TD Garden.
“Obviously, I’m very honored to be here with this group,” Lettieri told reporters, per team-provided video. “I think that everything I’ve done so far has been just a testament to how good the coaching staff and the players are down in Providence. … Obviously, I’m grateful for this opportunity and just trying to win games here.”
Lettieri skated on Boston’s third line alongside Trent Frederic and Oliver Wahlstrom in practice Monday, but interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters not to read into that. Sacco said Lettieri could see some time on the second power-play unit.
The Bruins sure hope Lettieri provides a jolt to Boston’s offense, which ranks 28th in the league in goals per game. Lettieri, who has 129 games of NHL experience under his belt, played one game for the Bruins during the 2022-23 season, but suffered an injury in that contest. He suited up in 46 games for the Minnesota Wild a season ago and compiled five goals and four assists.
McLaughlin will held back to the AHL after recording two goals in 12 games. The North Billerica, Mass., native played in just one game since the calendar flipped to January.
“Marc did fine when he was here. Held his own, did his job,” Sacco told reporters, per team-provided video. “But guys need to get rewarded as well when they play well for us and (Lettieri) is one of the guys.”
The matchup between the Bruins and Lightning is pivotal as Boston now looks up to Tampa Bay in the standings. The Lightning, who earned a 4-1 win over the Bruins last Thursday, are in third place in the Atlantic Division with 49 points. Boston, which snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday against the Florida Panthers, trails by two points, but has played four more games than Tampa Bay.
The Bruins and Lightning will square off this time at TD Garden on Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch complete coverage of the game on NESN.