By: Jack Studley | Follow me on Twitter/X @jackstudley13
On Monday night, the Bruins opted to show off some of their NHL talent in front of a sizable TD Garden crowd. David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman made their preseason debut, and head coach Marco Sturm familiarized himself with players on the NHL roster, testing line combinations that we are likely to see come the regular season opener on October 8.
The first period got off to a slow start, with no goals and eight total shots. The Bruins did not have a lead at all during the game, trailing in the early second due to a Flyers goal by Noah Cates. Sean Kuraly redirected a feed from David Pastrnak to put the Bruins on the board, and Morgan Geekie found the back of the net after collecting a pass from Elias Lindholm. That was not enough, however, as the Flyers picked up the win in a shootout. The Bruins picked up 15 shots in the loss.
Sean Kuraly Welcomes Himself Back to Boston
The Bruins finally got on the score sheet in the waning minutes of the second period, while trailing 1-0. David Pastrnak picked up the feed from Tanner Jeannot as he got hit, and played the puck right off the stick of Sean Kuraly. Kuraly angled his stick to redirect the Pastrnak feed into the back of the net.
“It felt good,” Kuraly said, “just to be back and get in a routine, and get in front of a crowd. It didn’t feel so much like preseason with them there.”
Until Kuraly’s goal late in the second, the Bruins had struggled to generate offense throughout the night. The goal came on the Bruins’ 11th shot on Dan Vladar. Vladar stood his ground throughout the game, making it difficult for the Bruins to get anything past him.
First Line Generating Offense Throughout the Night
The Bruins trailed one in the third period, thanks to a Rodrigo Abols goal with 23 seconds to go in the second frame. The return of the first line to the lineup displayed the chemistry they picked up throughout the season last year. Eleven minutes into the third, Elias Lindholm found Morgan Geekie alone on the left side. Geekie collected the puck and ripped it on Dan Vladar. The puck popped over Vladar into the goal, and the game was tied.
All three forwards on the first line registered a point in the game, with Geekie scoring and Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak adding assists. Getting the forward lines and defensive pairings into game shape is something that first-time NHL head coach Marco Sturm has been doing this preseason, and Monday night was no different. Pastrnak showed no sign of regression due to the tendonitis that kept him out of camp, and said after the game that he “felt good” and “had fun out there” during the game.
Hampus Lindholm Has Another Strong Performance
After missing the last 65 games of the 2024-25 regular season, Hampus Lindholm has returned to the ice and looked extremely comfortable. Lindholm had 20:27 minutes of ice time in the game, recorded a shot and a takeaway, and added a blocked shot to the stat sheet. His defensive game looked very strong, making it difficult for the Flyers to complete zone entries and simple passes around him.
“He’s so good, it’s so nice to have him,” said head coach Marco Sturm after the game. “I can’t even imagine it without him. Not just on the ice, off the ice too, in the room, he’s a guy who likes to talk a lot and get involved in a lot of things, and want to be the difference and want to get better.”
Lindholm skated on a pair with Andrew Peeke for the first time this preseason. We have seen Mason Lohrei paired with Charlie McAvoy, which happened in the first preseason game, and Henri Jokiharju was paired with Nikita Zadorov for the second preseason game. Sturm let the remaining two defensemen who are expected to make the NHL lineup play with each other against Philadelphia, giving the coaching staff the next two games to experiment with the pairings.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Bruins and their coaching staff had a great opportunity ahead of them on Monday night. Marco Sturm dressed 13 players who will likely be on the NHL roster, and gave bubble players a chance to play with the NHL and compete for their spot. The young third line, comprised of Matej Blumel, Fraser Minten, and Matt Poitras, had a chance to impress the coaching staff and the fans in the TD Garden stands.
Other players stood out tonight as well. Charlie McAvoy and Nikita Zadorov played well on a pair; Nikita Zadorov blocked two shots in the last minute of overtime to send the game to a shootout. Jeremy Swayman made 19 saves on 21 shots and picked up two more saves in the shootout, but it was not enough as the Bruins fell to Philadelphia on Monday night. The Bruins are off tomorrow, but return to Warrior Ice Arena on Wednesday for training camp. The next preseason game for the black and gold is on Thursday at 7:00 PM, on the road, against the Washington Capitals.
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