Oskar Steen called up ahead of game in New Jersey

On this rainy night in the Boston area, the Bruins have decided to do a little shuffling of the roster, in bringing up forward Oskar Steen from Providence:

Steen has been on a tear in Providence since his season began, playing in 7 games and having 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in those 7 games. Given the Bruins’ frustrating road performance so far, and some players struggling mightily (or playing hurt for all we know), it’s a great opportunity for a player like Steen who’s been knocking on the door for a bit now.

As for who he’d replace...well...I know we’re all fresh out of watching one of the worst third periods in recent memory, so the answer could be “any of them” , but I think there are some clear candidates: Erik Haula has been, quite frankly, in dire of need of either a wakeup call, a kick in the ass, or a replacement. Craig Smith meanwhile, while unquestionably still good, seems to be a step behind even after returning from injury, and that’s the last thing that the 2nd or even 3rd line needs at the moment. I would anticipate him taking some time on the 3rd line to help settle things for that line.

We’ll see how the lines shake out in Newark tomorrow.