Living up to hype is a hard thing for any professional athlete to achieve. While there are undoubtedly talented prospects who seamlessly transition from their previous level of play to the big leagues, many others grapple with the pressure, struggle to adapt, or, in some cases, never even get the opportunity to showcase their skills on the grand stage. This pressure is intensified when coupled with the actual demands of competing in a faster, more physically taxing version of the game. Mason Lohrei’s NHL debut, however, defied the typical narrative.
The 22-year-old Lohrei burst onto the scene, seizing a top-four role in his inaugural game due to a perfect storm of circumstances. Charlie McAvoy’s suspension coincided with injuries to Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort, paving the way for Lohrei to debut in a major role early in his career. Lohrei was being thrown right into the fire where he was entrusted with significant ice time, including special teams responsibilities. The result? Lohrei recorded an assist while playing for an impressive 21:23 of ice time, with 17:34 coming at even strength and 1:43 on the penalty kill.
“I’ve penalty killed my whole life, did it in junior, we had a really good penalty kill at Ohio State, so it’s not new to me,” said Lohrei. “Obviously doing it up here is new and harder, but it’s a great group up here to learn from. Coach (Joe) Sacco has been great, watching film and stuff. I just try to use my stick and my size. I like to play all situations, and the PK is one of them.”
How would head coach Jim Montgomery describe Lohrei’s debut?
“He was dynamite. He played really well,” Montgomery said. “His poise with the puck in all three zones was very noticeable. Made a lot of intelligent hockey plays.”
Lohrei wasn’t an unfamiliar name to Bruins fans who had eagerly awaited his debut for several years. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-5 and weighing 211 pounds, Lohrei’s performance lived up to the tremendous expectations placed upon him. Even more impressive was the fact that Lohrei started 63.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone, meaning he wasn’t being sheltered or protected against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, he was an integral part of the team’s game plan and executed it with precision.
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Lohrei’s physical attributes are noteworthy, but it’s his ability to make a significant impact offensively at his size and contribute in all facets of the game that makes him one of the most captivating prospects in the Bruins’ system. Much like Matthew Poitras, who also hit the ground running, Lohrei made an immediate impact that was sure to create some buzz among management and the coaching staff alike.
Consistency is Lohrei’s Next Challenge
Of course, it’s important to remember that one game is a limited sample size and not enough to make rash judgments or proclamations. However, a stellar debut is undoubtedly preferable to an underwhelming one, especially for a rookie in the NHL. With McAvoy’s suspension and Grzelcyk’s absence, Lohrei is likely to be deployed in a similar manner when the Bruins face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. This will be a tough matchup for the Bruins who just beat the Red Wings 4-1 a week ago. The Red Wings are second in the Atlantic Division, however, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. This will be a good follow-up test for Lohrei to see if his first game was a fluke, or if he’s capable of replicating a similar level of impact. Consistency is important at the professional level and there’s no reason to believe that Lohrei will struggle in that department.
Lohrei was joined by Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon who also joined the lineup from the AHL due to the injuries and suspension on the Bruins blue line. All three played well enough to help the Bruins earn a victory, something that was appreciated by Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand.
“The guys stepped in and played really well tonight. It’s not easy to come in and play,” Marchand said of Boston’s three new additions. “They played steady and strong, competed hard and they didn’t give up much, really.”
The Bruins are 9-0-1 this season and have seemingly picked up right where they left off last season. This isn’t how the season was expected to go given the important roster pieces lost in the offseason, but Montgomery and his squad are getting the job done each and every night and they should be proud of what they’ve accomplished thus far. Still, this is just the beginning.