Mason Lohrei set to make his NHL playoff debut for Bruins

BOSTON -- Mason Lohrei made his Bruins and NHL debut just over five months ago. On Wednesday, the 23-year-old defenseman will get his first taste of the NHL Playoffs.

Lohrei told reporters in Toronto that he'll be in the Boston lineup Wednesday night when the Bruins take on the Maple Leafs for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. He skated alongside Charlie McAvoy as part of Boston's top defensive pair on Wednesday morning, though he'll likely serve as a depth piece for the B's when the puck drops for Game 3. 

Lohrei made his NHL debut back on Nov. 2, logging 21:28 in a 4-3 shootout win by Boston. The opponent that evening at TD Garden? None other than the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He was pretty emotional after the first call-up of his career, so you can imagine the butterflies he felt when he received word Tuesday that he'd be making the trip north of the border with the Bruins.

"I mean, it's the playoffs," Lohrei told reporters. "This is what I've dreamed about since I was a kid."

A second-round pick by the Bruins in 2020, Lohrei ended up playing 41 games for Boston during the regular season. He scored four goals and dished out nine assists while averaging just under 17 minutes of ice time. He was a minus-2 during his time with the Bruins, but a plus-19 in his 21 games for the Providence Bruins.

The Bruins are in need of another blue liner after losing Andrew Peeke, who has already been ruled out for Games 3 and 4 after suffering a hand injury Monday night. Peeke is considered week-to-week, leaving a void on the Boston defensive corps.

We'll see where Lohrei ends up playing Wednesday night, but it probably won't be alongside McAvoy. But Lohrei will be in the lineup, as will Parker Wotherspoon, while Matt Grzelcyk will be a scratch for Game 3.

The Bruins and the Leafs are tied at a game apiece after Toronto won, 3-2, in Boston on Monday night.