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Five takeaways from Bruins’ preseason loss to the Rangers
Brandon Bussi had a rough night in net, allowing four goals in Boston's loss.
Jim Montgomery added more established veterans to the Bruins’ lineup on Thursday night.
But the presence of stars like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy weren’t enough to push Boston over the top. Boston fell to the Rangers, 5-2, at Madison Square Garden.
Brett Harrison and Mark Kastelic scored for the Bruins, while Brandon Bussi stopped 28 of 32 shots in the loss.
Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s loss:
A shaky showing from Brandon Bussi in net
With four preseason games left on the docket after Thursday, the Bruins need to start getting more clarity on their current goalie corps.
As Boston continues to try and hammer out a contract with Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins are moving forward with an expected tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi.
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So far, Bussi hasn’t instilled much confidence ahead of what could be his first regular-season reps in the NHL.
After relinquishing two goals on 12 shots in Sunday’s home loss to the Rangers, Bussi gave up four goals over 32 shots in his first full game this preseason on Thursday.
Granted, some of Bussi’s lackluster stats on Thursday was a byproduct of the play in front of him. The first tally he relinquished was on a 5-on-3 Rangers bid, while some of the netfront coverage in front of him was severely lacking.
But Bussi didn’t do himself any favors with his rebound control, with the Rangers gifted several opportunities to pad their lead with the amount of skittering pucks in Grade-A ice.
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The Bruins are high on Bussi and the potential that the 26-year-old goalie has showcased over the last few seasons in Providence. But he has to tighten things up before preseason wraps, especially if Swayman returns before the start of regular-season action.
Mark Kastelic brings the boom
One not-so-bold prediction for this season? Bruins fans are going to enjoy what Kastelic brings in a fourth-line role.
After serving as a one-man wrecking crew on Sunday, the 6-foot-4 Kastelic once against made his presence felt at Madison Square Garden.
Beyond deflecting home Drew Bavaro’s shot in the second period, Kastelic dropped the gloves with Connor Mackey after delivering a heavy check near the end boards.
Kastelic’s physicality, faceoff talents, speed, and knack for drawing penalties will come in handy on Boston’s checking unit. But the 25-year-old forward might have more to give offensively as well, with the Phoenix native nearly adding another goal in the third period by hanging around the net.
Kastelic should be a lock for a starting spot on Boston’s fourth line.
Trevor Kuntar continues to pester skaters
Unlike Kastelic, Trevor Kuntar might not be a lock for a spot on Boston’s roster out of camp.
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But the Boston College product keeps on separating himself during preseason action by being a fly in the ointment on every shift. The 23-year-old wing scored a greasy goal on Sunday, and was a pest against the Blueshirts once again at MSG.
After delivering several cross-checks into Will Cuylle’s back during a netfront scrum, Kuntar tried to mix it up with the Rangers pugnacious forward after taking a heavy hit from him later in the game.
Even at this stage of his development, it’s clear that Kuntar knows what his identity is at the pro ranks. If he sticks with it and continues to round out his game as a high-energy agitator, NHL reps will be there for him in due time.
Fellow scrapper Cole Koepke was also a menace on Thursday, landing a team-high five hits in his 14:07 of ice time.
Not a strong debut for several Bruins lineup fixtures
Yes, it’s just the preseason.
But this wasn’t the most bombastic debut from several regulars in Boston’s lineup.
In particular, Nikita Zadorov had a rough go of it at times. The imposing defenseman misplayed a puck at the blue line near the end of the first period, allowing Rangers forward Brennan Othmann to race past him and beat Bussi on a breakaway bid.
Zadorov was as advertised when it came to dishing out some punishment, but he’ll need to make sure that propensity for smashing skaters into the glass doesn’t come at the detriment of his D-zone play.
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Boston’s top line of David Pastrnak, Matthew Poitras, and Pavel Zacha also submitted mixed returns. The Bruins were outscored, 2-0, during that line’s 14:13 of 5-on-5 reps, with New York generating four high-danger scoring chances over that span of time.
There were a few bright spots from that grouping, however, especially as it pertained to Poitras.
The 20-year-old pivot might be a placeholder for Elias Lindholm at the moment, but his poise with the puck and possessing led to a few extended O-zone shifts for Boston. He’s been impressive so far this fall.
Brett Harrison’s strong fall continues
After putting together an impressive performance at the annual Prospects’ Challenge in Buffalo earlier this month, Brett Harrison took another step forward on Thursday.
The 2021 third-round pick opened the scoring for Boston at 14:44 in the first period, receiving a feed from Morgan Geekie and eventually slipping a puck past Jonathan Quick.
It was an impressive display of patience for Harrison, who should be in line for a greater role in Providence in 2024-25. His overall numbers from his rookie AHL campaign may not pop (five goals, 14 points over 47 games), but Harrison scored 34 goals in 57 games in the OHL in 2022-23, and boasts a heavy shot.
Don’t be surprised to see his stats soar this winter as he climbs his way up Providence’s depth chart.
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