Boston Bruins projected lineup vs Calgary Flames: All changes included

At practice, the Bruins kept the forward tweaks they rolled out yesterday, with Pastrnak remaining on the third line.

He's again slated to skate with Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten, a trio that brought pace and some real pop earlier in the season when Pastrnak first returned from injury.

Up top, Alex Steeves gets back up to the top line alongside Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie. That's a big opportunity for Steeves.

The second line remains intact with Pavel Zacha between Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson, a unit that has at least felt stable during an otherwise ugly stretch.

Michael Eyssimont, Sean Kuraly, and Mark Kastelic round out the fourth line, with Jeffrey Viel appearing to be the odd man out.

The bigger chess match might be on defense. Jonathan Aspirot is a game-time decision, and if he returns, Boston's pairings change in a meaningful way.

The look at practice had Aspirot on the second pair with Hampus Lindholm, while Andrew Peeke slid down to the third pair with Mason Lohrei.

If Aspirot does slot in, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Henri Jokiharju are expected to be the odd defensemen out. That's not a knock on either player, it's simply the reality of bodies returning and the Bruins wanting their steadiest options in the lineup.

From a fan perspective, I actually like the idea. Aspirot's calm game can help settle exits and cut down on the kind of scrambling shifts that have buried Boston during this skid.