Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings: 9/23 preseason game preview
The winning streak for the Boston Bruins continues! The Bruins take on a familiar opponent as they look to continue their momentum.
Make that 3-0-0 in the preseason. It took a few minutes of overtime, but the Boston Bruins came out on top against the Philadelphia Flyers by a 2-1 margin. Paul Postma scored the game-tying goal in the 3rd period, his first of the preseason, assisted by Kenny Agostino and Riley Nash.
The newcomer, and the reigning AHL MVP, Kenny Agostino made the most of a breakaway opportunity in 3-on-3 OT, and ended the game there. Danton Heinen picked up the lone assist on the overtime winner.
It was encouraging to see production coming from Agostino and Postma, two players the Bruins added to the organization this offseason. Postma may have to step in for the first week or two of the season given the injury to Torey Krug, and Postma be
ing the only other defenseman in the organization with real NHL experience.
Also nice to see Riley Nash contribute offensively. Recently, the fourth line centerman from last season stated that he wanted to bring a bit more offense to his game. He is one of the Bruins most formidable penalty killers from last season. If he can contribute when it comes to offense, he will only increase his value to the team.
Tuukka Rask also had a nice performance in his first game action of the preseason. If the Bruins want to make a splash this season, he’s going to have to regain his Vezina Trophy form. A one goal OT win, albeit in the preseason, is a great way to start.
Schedule
The game tonight is taking place at the new Little Caeser’s Arena in Detroit, MI. This will be the first season since 1979 that the Red Wings will be playing their home games in an arena other than Joe Louis Arena. The game in the new Hockeytown will start at 7:00 pm and be broadcast on the NHL Network.
Game Roster
The players making the trek to Detroit tonight for the game are as follows:
Forwards: Matt Beleskey, Austin Czarnik, Jake DeBrusk, Ryan Fitzgerald, Danton Heinen, David Krejci, Sean Kuraly, David Pastrnak, Ted Purcell, Tim Schaller, Zach Senyshyn, Jordan Szwarz, Frank Vatrano
Defensemen: Matt Grzelcyk, Jeremy Lauzon, Charlie McAvoy, Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Rob O’Gara, Jakub Zboril
Goaltenders: Zane McIntyre, Malcolm Subban
Lines have not been announced by the team on their Twitter account as they have on previous game days.
What to watch for
In the first game featuring this group of players, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy played prospect Jake DeBrusk with the David Krejci and David Pastrnak pairing. It will be interesting to see if he does the same tonight, or if someone else gets the chance. Frank Vatrano can play on the left wing, and might be a good fit for the line.
Pastrnak and Krejci showed some good chemistry together when they played Detroit this past Tuesday. That bodes well for the season in the Czech teammates can channel that all year. Perhaps if Pastrnak improves on his stellar numbers last season, he can bring Krejci along with him. Maybe another 70 point season for Krejci could be in the works, something he’s only done once in his career (2008-2009, 73 points).
More from Boston Bruins
- Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
- Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
- Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions
With Krug’s injury, there’s going to be a spot on the NHL roster for an additional defenseman. The remaining preseason games will likely be that much more important for the young players on the blue line. Playing tonight, Matt Grzelcyk, Rob O’Gara, and Jakub Zboril will probably be at the top of the list to be the 7th defenseman as the season starts.
Also, the penalties! The new enforcement of the slashing and faceoff violations is becoming a real bane of fans’ (and players’) existence. The Bruins and Flyers combined for FIFTEEN minor penalties in their last game. The NHL wants more offense, and power plays are a way for more goals to be scored. Same thing when it comes to offensive teams winning faceoffs.
But the consistent penalty calls and stoppages are slowing the game down. As a fan, the pace of an NHL game is one of the things that separates the league from the MLB, NFL and NBA. Something needs to be done about it.
Next: Boston Bruins: Torey Krug out three weeks with fractured jaw
Rumor is, the NHL is already re-tweaking the tweaks it was attempting to make in the preseason. Considering the amount of complaints coming from spectators and players, it makes sense. Give the people what they want!