4 takeaways from Bruins’ preseason finale in opposition to the Capitals
Boston Bruins
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins, who will open their season on Tuesday.
The Boston Bruins closed out their preseason slate on Friday, with Marco Sturm rolling out a roster in opposition to the Capitals that may look similar to the lineup that Boston showcases in its season opener subsequent Tuesday at TD Backyard.
Ideally, that lineup fares a bit higher than Friday’s squad, as Boston fell to the Caps, 3-2, in extra time at Capital One Enviornment.
After a gradual begin, Boston’s massive weapons made it a recreation in Washington, with a pair of third-period objectives from Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak forcing extra time — just for Jordan Kyrou to win it for Washington simply 11 seconds into the additional interval.
Jeremy Swayman earned the nod in internet, stopping 32 of the 35 pictures that got here his manner.
Listed below are 4 takeaways from Boston’s preseason finale:
Little readability additional down depth chart
The excellent news? A number of of Boston’s high gamers — together with Swayman, Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, and Geekie — did sufficient heavy lifting late to permit Boston to flee with a degree (had this been a regular-season contest, after all).
The Bruins adopted a reasonably acquainted script as final yr on Friday — keep off the mat behind a robust exhibiting from Swayman, and land sufficient punches out of your massive weapons up entrance to have an opportunity to grab a degree or two.
Boston is aware of what it has in key cogs like Swayman and Pastrnak, whereas JJ Peterka has been as marketed as a fleet-footed playmaker — particularly on an influence play the place he recorded the first helper on Pastrnak’s tally.
However with roster cuts looming, Friday’s recreation didn’t precisely shift the fortunes of a number of gamers on the Bruins’ roster bubble getting into the ultimate days of coaching camp — nor does it clear up a number of of the roster logjams that Sturm and his employees nonetheless want to deal with.
“Now we have a number of our bodies,” Sturm stated at Warrior Ice Enviornment Friday morning. “At the moment and tomorrow, there can be some motion, some selections that need to be made. However it’s factor; it’s wholesome. Hopefully it helps the gamers, too.
“Someone can be not completely happy, however I believe that is the time to type of study your self. Do I push just a little additional or do I simply surrender? These are the moments now when you will have a much bigger camp, a number of gamers round – we need to see that additional push out of them.”
As crunch time will get nearer with Boston’s roster, there are nonetheless a number of questions over who precisely will snag the spare ahead spots on this membership — particularly with Matt Poitras’s lower-body damage additional complicating issues.
Henri Jokiharju seems to be the odd man out on the blue line and will be a part of Jordan Harris on waivers within the coming days. However Boston’s patchwork defensive pairings (sans Charlie McAvoy) nonetheless seem like a piece in progress.
Connor Clifton has had an up-and-down preseason up to now subsequent to Nikita Zadorov, whereas Jonathan Aspirot and Hampus Lindholm have been susceptible to some ill-timed penalties.
It hasn’t been the strongest fall up to now for Aspirot, however the second-year professional did discover his recreation within the third interval — outmuscling Cole Hutson on a rush probability and taking part in the easy, hard-nosed recreation that made him such a nice shock final yr.
On a constructive be aware, Mason Lohrei was regular in his return to the lineup after getting banged up earlier this week. For now, he appears to be the favourite to open the yr on the third D pairing — however will it’s subsequent to Aspirot or Frederic Brunet, who sat out of Friday’s matchup?
There could not essentially be any revelatory roster cuts or waiver-wire strikes within the coming days.
However it’s all however a provided that the ahead traces and pairs that Sturm rolls out on Tuesday in opposition to the Rangers are going to be tweaked and reshuffled all through the following few weeks on a roster nonetheless in flux.
Good and unhealthy on particular groups
Pastrnak’s blistering shot allowed the Bruins to money in on certainly one of their three possibilities on the facility play Friday, with each Zacha on the internet entrance and Peterka on the proper elbow specifically doing job of transferring the puck and discovering passing lanes in opposition to Washington.
Getting Pastrnak to uncork that one-timer extra usually could be a welcome sight for the Bruins — however it solely turns into a tangible possibility if different shot-ready choices like Peterka and Geekie on the bumper proceed to check netminders.
There shouldn’t be an excessive amount of concern over how Boston’s man benefit — particularly one run by Steve Spott — ought to fare this season, particularly after the addition of a gifted ahead like Peterka.
However Boston’s PK didn’t fare as nicely, with the Caps tallying all three of their objectives on Friday on their man benefit.
Sean Kuraly hasn’t had essentially the most spectacular preseason up to now, and there’s a professional case to be made that his function as Boston’s fourth-line heart must be challenged by both Poitras or Dans Locmelis.
However his shorthanded contributions had been missed on Friday, with Washington producing 9 high-danger scoring possibilities of their 4:50 of 5-on-4 reps in opposition to Boston.
New Bruins assistant coach Matt McIlvane — who now runs Boston’s PK — has his work lower out for him, because the Bruins ranked twenty eighth within the league with only a 75.7 % success fee in 2025-26.
That has to enhance for a Bruins group that has traditionally prided itself on being a stingy stalwart within the defensive zone.
Zacha is setting himself up for a significant payday
Relating to figuring out potential areas of regression on this Bruins membership, there was loads of skepticism getting into a brand new yr when it comes to banking on Boston’s second line — anchored by Pavel Zacha — as soon as once more holding court docket as among the finest ahead trios within the league.
Not solely does the free-agent departure of Viktor Arvidsson loom massive after serving because the motor on that line, however there was loads of uncertainty over whether or not or not Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt’s robust campaigns in 2025-26 had been an indication of issues to return — or an unsustainable outlier.
In spite of everything, the Bruins outscored opponents by a whopping 48-29 margin in Zacha and Mittelstadt’s 701 minutes of 5-on-5 reps collectively final yr.
That lopsided aim differential will not be practical, however each Zacha and Mittelstadt’s chemistry has clearly remained intact this fall.
The road of Zacha, Mittelstadt, and Geekie was Boston’s most constant ahead grouping on Wednesday, with Boston holding a 10-2 edge in scoring possibilities throughout that line’s 11:07 of 5-on-5 ice time.
Geekie may need been the one to beat Logan Thompson simply 3:40 into the third interval, however it was Zacha who did all the heavy lifting with some robust puck safety down low and a slick feed into Grade-A ice.
Zacha additionally recorded the secondary helper on Pastrnak’s power-play tally, whereas additionally profitable 10-of-17 faceoffs (58.8 %).
It’s simply the preseason, however Zacha appears to be like a complete lot just like the participant who emerged as a professional second-line heart final season for Boston — which might make issues attention-grabbing so far as his anticipated expensive subsequent contract.
It’s unclear whether or not or not the Bruins need to be those prepared to pay that worth, or if they’ve an urge for food for transferring him — each to keep away from that looming contract and to probably purchase one other impression participant within the course of (say, Kirill Marchenko?).
Youth report
Friday stood as the ultimate probability for a number of kids to skate their declare for an NHL roster spot, headlined by each James Hagens and Dans Locmelis.
It was a large ask for each kids on Friday, particularly after the duo skated in Thursday’s preseason loss to the Flyers.
However Hagens as soon as once more didn’t harm his inventory, touchdown two pictures on aim in 13:55 of ice time. Hagens and his linemates — very similar to the remainder of Boston’s ahead grouping — struggled to string collectively stable shifts within the first 40 minutes, however had a couple of high quality appears to be like within the third interval of play.
It’d be a significant shock if Boston doesn’t roll out a 3rd line of Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov on Tuesday night time in opposition to the Rangers.
Locmelis had a little bit of a quieter night time on a line with Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic, however the refined, two-way recreation and the tempo he operates at are fairly evident.
If Poitras is destined for an injured reserve designation out of the gate this yr, Locmelis could possibly be a short-term stopgap if Sturm needs to maintain a younger heart on the roster behind Kuraly on the depth chart.
But when Poitras is nice to go earlier than Tuesday, Boston will probably ship Locmelis (who’s waivers-exempt) all the way down to Windfall to log top-line minutes and name on him when wanted as soon as accidents come up.
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