Lukas Reichel to enter lineup for Game 4 as Bruins chase Sabres, and signs point to Jordan Harris joining in, too
Reichel played 10 games for the Bruins after being acquired for a sixth-round draft pick at the trade deadline, collecting a goal and 3 points. In 198 career games, he has 23 goals and 62 points.
The 23-year-old also worked on Boston’s second power-play unit.
The 17th overall pick in 2020 by the Blackhawks, Reichel can flash elite speed and puck-handling skills, but a lack of consistency has prevented him from securing a permanent NHL job.
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Sturm chose Reichel over Mikey Eyssimont and Alex Steeves, who each had stints at left wing on the line with center Fraser Minten and right winger Marat Khusnutdinov.
“Lukas has something we don’t really have. That’s high-end skill and speed [and] that’s what we’re hoping from him,” said Sturm. “He has to dig deep. He has to compete. But those are things you can’t teach and we’re hoping for him to get more on the forecheck and get some pucks back and that’s why we feel good about him — and also on the power play.”
Reichel last suited up April 12 when the Bruins beat the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio, a night after they clinched their playoff berth.
He’s looking forward to the playoff opportunity.
“Just try to bring some energy, bring my speed,” he said. “Just try to bring my game and try to go to the net, try to score some greasy goals or create chances and create momentum.”
Reichel’s speed could be key in counterattacking Buffalo’s rush game. The Bruins effectively used high flips out of the defensive end to create breakaway chances, particularly in Game 2.
“I think you saw it with [Viktor Arvidsson] had probably like a breakaway every game,” said Reichel. “And then that’s playing good defensively and then you try to create rushes off the turnovers from there.”
Reichel said working hard in practice with the other healthy scratches is how he stays game ready.
“If you don’t play, you’ve got to be mentally ready to play the next game or even in practice. You try to work hard so you stay in shape for the next one,” he said. “And that’s what I feel like we all did, Steever, Mikey, and [defenseman Henri Jokiharju], I think we battled hard if we didn’t play and try to stay ready.”
Sturm was adamant that Hagens hasn’t been shelved for the rest of the playoffs. He skated on a line with Eyssimont and Steeves and rotated in on the second power-play unit with Reichel.
“Listen, James didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing. This kid is 19 years old, don’t forget. I started as a scratch in my first career playoff. Maybe that’s in my mind, too,” said Sturm. “He did more than I even thought, coming in. Tremendous job. Tremendous player. We’re going to have a great player.”
Growing pains are part of the process.
“It’s a tough league. Going into the last stretch and playing in the playoffs, consistency is a big thing. It’s hard,” said Sturm. “Again, we take a breather and we’re going to use him again in the near future. But I thought it was the right thing to do to take a breath, not just for him but also from you guys [in the the media]. I think it’s better for the kid and for us as a team. But I want to make sure [everyone knows] this kid didn’t do anything wrong. I’m very happy with where he’s at.”
Sturm didn’t fully commit to the Harris change, saying there were some blue liners banged up, but everyone practiced fully during the 30-minute session, so it seems likely the Haverhill native will be good to go.
Similar to Reichel, Harris pointed to his last few games he got in as key to his preparation and confidence. The game in Columbus had a playoff-like feel as the Blue Jackets were battling for a postseason invite that ultimately didn’t come.
“I thought it was really good, especially that game in Columbus where we won and we had a lot of our guys out and took a lot of confidence personally from that, but also as a team, right?,” said Harris, who paired with Lindholm on April 4 against the Lightning. “When you have your big boys out of the lineup, other guys need to step up and it’s great to be out there, right? That’s why I play is to play in games and be in moments like this. So definitely took a lot of confidence from [those games].”
Jim McBride can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @globejimmcbride.
