By: Ryan Jainchill | Follow me on Twitter / X @Jainchill_Ryan
After dropping the first game of the 2025 NHL preseason 5-2 to the Washington Capitals on Sunday, the Boston Bruins are back in action tonight against the New York Rangers. This is the first travel day of the season for the Bruins, albeit only for the day. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.
Sunday’s roster featured more of a veteran-focused lineup, with the likes of Elias Lindholm, Morgan Geekie, and Charlie McAvoy, who was seeing his first game action since February, among others. For Head Coach Marco Sturm tonight, it’s more of a younger lineup full of players with something to prove.
Forwards:
Matej Blumel, Alex Steeves, Fabian Lysell, Matthew Poitras, and Fraser Minten will all be appearing in their second game of this preseason. These six forwards are all viable options to crack the NHL lineup come October 8th. For Blumel, he has been slotted into the second power-play unit at practices this week, which is a sign that he has a legit look to make the roster. Lysell, Poitras, and Minten, all of whom are considered top prospects for the Bruins, have impressed as well, and another shot early in the preseason can elevate them.
Dans Locmelis will make his unofficial Bruins debut tonight. The 21-year-old had a breakout season at the University of Massachusetts last season, scoring 33 points in 40 games. He signed his entry-level contract with the Bruins after the season, reporting to AHL Providence and recording 12 points in nine games. It will be interesting to see how Locmelis performs against elevated talent and physicality, even in just the second game of the preseason.
Casey Mittelstadt enters the lineup for the first time this preseason after a trade from Colorado last season. With the recent report that Sturm wants Pavel Zacha, who is not in the lineup tonight, to play center to begin the season, Mittelstadt may be in line to be the team’s third-line center, or possibly kick to the wing alongside Zacha.
Many candidates for the fourth line are also in the lineup tonight, including John Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Michael Eyssimont, who is making his Bruins debut. We will not know the lineup until closer to game time, but Eyssimont and Kastelic will likely be paired together, as evident in their groupings throughout camp.
Defenseman:
Nikita Zadorov and Victor Soderstrom are the two lone returners to the lineup tonight from Sunday. The two were paired together against Washington and finished -2 on the day. Henri Jokiharju, Zadorov’s partner for the start of camp, is entering the lineup tonight, so the duo will likely reunite for the game.
Loke Johansson, the Bruins’ sixth-round selection in 2024, is making his unofficial Bruins debut tonight. The 19-year-old has yet to play a game in Providence, spending last season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL.
Bruins’ newcomers Jordan Harris and Jonathan Aspirot are in the lineup tonight for their first games of the preseason, as is Michael Callahan. Callahan and Harris are likely the two front-runners for the seventh defenseman spot for opening night.
Goaltenders:
Joonas Korpisalo is making his preseason debut tonight ahead of his second season in Boston. Michael DiPietro, who allowed five goals on 21 shots on Sunday, and Simon Zajicek are also traveling to New York. A starting goaltender has not been announced yet, but after DiPietro and Zajicek split the net on Sunday, there is a chance Korpisalo starts and gets relieved halfway through the second period.
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