By: Jason Cooke | Follow me on X @cookejournalism
On Tuesday night, it gets real. Boston Bruins hockey is finally back, and the 2024-25 season is commencing against a familiar foe for the Black and Gold. Just before the puck drops at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Panthers will raise their 2024 Stanley Cup banner in the faces of the club they’ve sent home in the playoffs for the last two consecutive seasons. If that’s not motivation for the new-look Bruins, I don’t know what is.
In fact, the Bruins are approaching the new season built much like their new arch-rivals due to an offseason emphasis on getting bigger, tougher, and ultimately poised for what playoff hockey commands. Charlie McAvoy is Boston’s smallest blueliner at 6-foot-1, surrounded by giants Nikita Zadorov, (6-foot-6) and Mason Lohrei (6-foot-5), among others. But will that be enough to exercise their postseason demons in Jim Montgomery’s third season behind the Boston bench? Time will tell, but in the meantime, here are three things I’m looking at before 7 p.m. tonight.
Swayman or Korpisalo?
For the last few weeks, the possibility of Jeremy Swayman starting the first game of the National Hockey League season seemed highly unlikely. Montgomery even told reporters at Boston’s start-of-season press conference that Korpisalo would get the net against the Panthers. But after Swayman inked an eight-year, $8.25 million contract over the weekend, there seems to be a sliver of hope that Boston’s new franchise goaltender could see the cage sooner rather than later.
Despite Don Sweeney reinforcing the sentiment that Korpisalo would start on Tuesday, Montgomery left open the possibility of Swayman getting the nod despite just officially joining the team on Monday. Throughout the lengthy negotiation process, Swayman revealed he had been working out at Boston University to stay sharp. He previously appeared at Bruins captain’s practice before missing the entirety of training camp.
Korpisalo saw ice in two preseason games this fall, posing a .936 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average. He looked sharp, and he certainly didn’t look like a goaltender who boasted a dismal .890 save percentage in 2023-24 with the Ottawa Senators. While the Bruins don’t exactly know what they are going to get with their new backup, if he’s anything like his short preseason sample, he’ll be a suitable number two behind Swayman.
Zadorov, Lindholm Make Bruins Debuts
If the Bruins want to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup this June, Boston’s premier offseason acquisitions will have a lot to do with it. On Tuesday, both are slated to make their regular season debuts with the B’s. While Lindholm has shown Bergeron-esque stretches throughout his veteran NHL career, he’s another question mark within the Bruins lineup where they don’t quite know what they are going to get just yet.
Will it be his point-per-game season in 2021-22, or will it be his 46-point campaign last year (albeit it was between two teams)? Because in reality, the Bruins have been looking for someone to replace Bergeron ever since he retired after the 2022-23 season. Lindholm seems to be the closest the Bruins can get, showcasing a reliable two-way ability and having experience on the bumper on the power play. If he lives up to that potential, the Bruins’ top line will be scary.
Zadorov’s potential impact will be that much more important. Boston has struggled physically on the back end for the last handful of seasons, and Zadorov packs the traits to do it all. He notched 20 points last season between the Canucks and Flames while being a tenacious predator in all three zones of the ice. That combination of offensive moxie and defensive flare is built for Bruins hockey. I’d watch for Zadorov to toss a few sizable checks to set the tone against a chippy Panthers team.
Projected Line Rushes
The Bruins’ pregame skate on Monday suggested the following line combinations:
Zacha-Lindholm-Pastrnak
Marchand-Coyle-Geekie
Jones-Frederic-Brazeau
Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke
Poitras
Lindholm-McAvoy
Lohrei-Carlo
Zadorov-Peeke
Wotherspoon-Mitchell
Korpisalo
Swayman
A few things stick out. First, Morgan Geekie looks like he’s earned a shot with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle on the second line. All preseason, it was assumed that the spot would be claimed by prospects Fabian Lysell or Georgii Merkulov. But after both youngsters didn’t exactly dominate in preseason action, the Bruins looked internally for a candidate to don the role. Geekie, who is coming off a career season of 17-22-39, impressed last season with the Bruins.
Secondly, it looks like Max Jones will make his Bruins debut on Tuesday after playing in just one preseason game. While this is likely a result of Matt Poitras beginning the season with the “injured non-roster” designation, it is nonetheless an opportunity for an intriguing free-agency signing to make a splash with his new team.
Jones has basically been a full-time NHLer with the Anaheim Ducks the past two seasons, suiting up for 52 games in 2023-24 and 69 contests in 2022-23. At 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, he’s proven his mettle as an impact player on a bottom-six checking line. In 2022-23, he even posted 19 points with the Ducks. “I like to play the game with my hair on fire,” he told the media after signing with the Bruins. Even when Poitras makes his inevitable return to the lineup, don’t be surprised if Jones carves out a spot on the fourth line.
Prediction: Bruins 4, Panthers 2
I think the Bruins will come out of the gate with a vengeance and hit the ground running on a season where the Stanley Cup is very much attainable. Look for stars David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand to find the scoresheet.
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