Lower than per week stays earlier than the Boston Bruins start their 2024-25 NHL common season in Florida towards the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers on Oct. 8.
A lot of the discuss surrounding the Bruins proper now includes the contract talks between the team and restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman, however there are many different storylines surrounding this group.
The lineup is not completely set, and there are nonetheless loads of gamers competing for a roster spot or a selected position.
The Bruins wrapped up their fifth preseason sport Tuesday night time with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Backyard. It was Boston’s most spectacular preseason efficiency to date, and it got here with a lineup that featured plenty of gamers anticipated to be on the Opening Evening roster. The Bruins nonetheless have two extra preseason matchups to guage gamers and line combos forward of the season opener.
What have we discovered from the primary 5 Bruins preseason video games? Listed below are three takeaways:
Morgan Geekie is an effective match at second-line proper wing
Hannah Foslien-USA TODAY Sports activities
The Bruins began Tuesday’s sport with a second line of Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie. The competitors for second-line proper wing has been a very good one all through camp and the preseason. Geekie received loads of reps in that spot towards the Flyers, and each the manufacturing and chemistry he had with Marchand and Coyle was robust.
Marchand left within the second interval on account of sickness, however within the 9:49 of 5-on-5 ice time Geekie and Coyle performed collectively, the Bruins had a 15-7 edge in shot makes an attempt, a 9-4 benefit in scoring possibilities and a 4-2 lead in pictures on internet, per Natural Stat Trick.
Geekie’s robust, two-way fashion of hockey makes him a very good match with Coyle and Marchand. The 26-year-old ahead is accountable defensively and may deal with robust matchups towards the opponent’s prime forwards. Geekie additionally has upside offensively. If he performs a full season on this line, he ought to be capable of surpass his profession excessive of 17 objectives set final yr.
The Bruins have a number of choices in terms of second-line proper wing, however proper now, Geekie might be the most effective match for this position on Opening Evening subsequent week.
Tyler Johnson has performed effectively sufficient to earn a contract
The longtime Tampa Bay Lightning ahead got here to camp on knowledgeable tryout settlement (PTO) and he is performed effectively sufficient, each in follow and preseason video games, to earn a contract for the common season.
Johnson tallied 31 factors (17 objectives, 14 assists) in 67 video games for the Chicago Blackhawks final season. His 5-on-5 scoring was underwhelming, however he was an element on Chicago’s energy play, the place he scored eight objectives with eight assists. The one B’s participant who had eight or extra power-play objectives final season was David Pastrnak (12).
Johnson scored a power-play purpose in Tuesday’s sport towards the Flyers, ending off a pleasant passing sequence that includes Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The 34-year-old middle has been on the ice for 5 of Boston’s 12 objectives scored in the course of the preseason.
Tic Tac TJ 🚨 pic.twitter.com/RaCWxNvpdt
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 2, 2024
“It was good motion. Good help all the way in which round. Pasta made a very good play to Zacha, and he simply discovered me for a fairly straightforward purpose. I feel anybody might have scored that,” Johnson told reporters in the locker room postgame.
🎥 Tyler Johnson on potting the profitable PPG within the B’s preseason win over Philly: “It was good motion…Pasta made a very good play to Zacha…fairly straightforward purpose. I feel anybody might have scored.”
Watch extra postgame response ➡️ https://t.co/luGJUvDOXw#NHLBruins | @rapid7 pic.twitter.com/PTuRCCtfwG
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 2, 2024
Johnson has two Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. He can play at middle and he can play at proper wing. He might play on the second line or in a bottom-six position. This type of versatility could be invaluable for the Bruins in the course of the common season.
Johnson is not going to gentle up the stat sheet, however his means to attain between 15 and 20 objectives could be useful for a Bruins workforce attempting to interchange the 47 objectives misplaced because of Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen leaving in free company over the summer time.
Except one other one of many Bruins’ younger gamers makes a late cost for a roster spot, giving an actual contract to Johnson could be a sensible transfer.
Bruins have not given Fabian Lysell sufficient of an opportunity to make roster
Fabian Lysell is arguably the Bruins’ prime prospect. His dynamic offensive ability set and the velocity he performs with make him an thrilling participant to observe and somebody who might assist give the Bruins the scoring depth they lacked at instances towards the tip of final season.
After a rough preseason opener against the New York Rangers, Lysell performed a lot better in his second look versus the Capitals with a power-play purpose and two penalties drawn. He additionally performed effectively in final week’s sport towards the Flyers.
Fabian with some FILTH 🎯 pic.twitter.com/5MYfw5uvKR
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 25, 2024
Regardless of the optimistic momentum he was constructing, Lysell was among the large group of cuts the Bruins made final Sunday. It was a little bit of a shock contemplating Lysell’s efficiency was trending in the proper route, and the truth that the preseason was barely half over.
Nonetheless, Bruins basic supervisor Don Sweeney famous Monday that just a few gamers despatched to Windfall, together with Lysell, might probably be again in Boston for the ultimate couple preseason video games.
“I referenced the camp isn’t over with. In all probability we will consider after (Tuesday’s) sport, what the lineup seems like for Thursday and there might be a number of gamers that can come again and play whether or not that’s Thursday or Saturday. So camp isn’t over,” Sweeney advised reporters. “The analysis course of actually by no means ends.
“We had Fabian in conditions in camp the place he received reps with totally different gamers. Clearly, the sport lineups, some nights early in camp look somewhat in a different way, however that is what going to Madison Sq. Backyard towards 13 or 14 NHL guys, what these guys seem like once they’re enjoying towards NHL gamers. And there is the analysis aspect of it.
“The consistency piece, everyone sees the ability set that Fabian has, and we’re enthusiastic about it. Now we proceed to permit him to fill within the gaps when it comes to constructing a workforce sport that Monty feels is an enormous a part of what the Bruins to have success is, and all younger gamers undergo that course of. However he’ll get one other alternative and hopefully he takes benefit of it.”
The Bruins invested a 2021 first-round decide in Lysell. He has been an excellent offensive participant within the AHL during the last two seasons. One of the simplest ways for Lysell to show he belongs within the NHL is to get an prolonged take a look at this degree. He has not gotten that but.
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