Bruins takeaways: What we have discovered from first 5 preseason video games

Bruins takeaways: What we’ve learned from first five preseason games initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Lower than every 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 speak surrounding the Bruins proper now entails 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 particular function.

The Bruins wrapped up their fifth preseason recreation Tuesday night time with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Backyard. It was Boston’s most spectacular preseason efficiency to this point, and it got here with a lineup that featured a whole lot of gamers anticipated to be on the Opening Night time roster. The Bruins nonetheless have two extra preseason matchups to guage gamers and line mixtures forward of the season opener.

What have we discovered from the primary 5 Bruins preseason video games? Listed here are three takeaways:

Morgan Geekie is an effective match at second-line proper wing

The Bruins began Tuesday’s recreation with a second line of Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie. The competitors for second-line proper wing has been a great one all through camp and the preseason. Geekie acquired 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 as a consequence 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 probabilities and a 4-2 lead in pictures on web, per Natural Stat Trick.

Geekie’s powerful, two-way type of hockey makes him a great match with Coyle and Marchand. The 26-year-old ahead is accountable defensively and might deal with powerful matchups towards the opponent’s high forwards. Geekie additionally has upside offensively. If he performs a full season on this line, he ought to be capable to surpass his profession excessive of 17 objectives set final 12 months.

The Bruins have a number of choices in relation to second-line proper wing, however proper now, Geekie might be the very best match for this function on Opening Night time subsequent week.

Tyler Johnson has performed nicely sufficient to earn a contract

The longtime Tampa Bay Lightning ahead got here to camp on knowledgeable tryout settlement (PTO) and he is performed nicely 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 objective in Tuesday’s recreation towards the Flyers, ending off a pleasant passing sequence that includes Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The 34-year-old heart has been on the ice for 5 of Boston’s 12 objectives scored in the course of the preseason.

“It was good motion. Good assist all the best way round. Pasta made a great play to Zacha, and he simply discovered me for a fairly simple objective. I feel anybody may have scored that,” Johnson told reporters in the locker room postgame.

Johnson has two Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. He can play at heart and he can play at proper wing. He may play on the second line or in a bottom-six function. This sort of versatility could be helpful for the Bruins in the course of the common season.

Johnson is not going to gentle up the stat sheet, however his capacity 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.

Until 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 clever transfer.

Bruins have not given Fabian Lysell sufficient of an opportunity to make roster

Fabian Lysell is arguably the Bruins’ high prospect. His dynamic offensive ability set and the pace he performs with make him an thrilling participant to observe and somebody who may assist give the Bruins the scoring depth they lacked at instances towards the top 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 objective and two penalties drawn. He additionally performed nicely in final week’s recreation towards the Flyers.

Regardless of the constructive 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 fitting course, and the truth that the preseason was barely half over.

Nevertheless, Bruins basic supervisor Don Sweeney famous Monday that a number of gamers despatched to Windfall, together with Lysell, may doubtlessly be again in Boston for the ultimate couple preseason video games.

“I referenced the camp will not be over with. In all chance we will consider after (Tuesday’s) recreation, what the lineup appears like for Thursday and there can be a number of gamers that may come again and play whether or not that’s Thursday or Saturday. So camp will not be over,” Sweeney instructed reporters. “The analysis course of actually by no means ends.

“We had Fabian in conditions in camp the place he acquired reps with completely different gamers. Clearly, the sport lineups, some nights early in camp look a little bit in a different way, however that is what going to Madison Sq. Backyard towards 13 or 14 NHL guys, what these guys appear like after they’re taking part in towards NHL gamers. And there is the analysis facet of it.

“The consistency piece, all people sees the ability set that Fabian has, and we’re enthusiastic about it. Now we proceed to permit him to fill within the gaps by way of constructing a workforce recreation 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 over the past two seasons. One of the best ways for Lysell to show he belongs within the NHL is to get an prolonged have a look at this stage. He has not gotten that but.