Bruins
Matthew Poitras, Johnny Beecher, and Mason Lohrei all impressed Tuesday night time at TD Backyard.
In what stood as their last preseason contest on house ice, the Bruins finally got here up quick towards the Washington Capitals in extra time — dropping a 5-4 consequence.
It was a defense-optional night time on Causeway Road, with James van Riemsdyk, Mason Lohrei, Milan Lucic, and Matthew Poitras all scoring for Boston. Linus Ullmark performed your complete sport between the pipes for the Bruins, stopping 36 of the 41 pictures that got here his method.
Listed here are a number of takeaways and observations from Boston’s penultimate preseason matchup in 2023.
Matthew Poitras may be sticking round
One other day, one other check handed for Matthew Poitras.
The 19-year-old ahead has been constructing loads of momentum in his favor all through the preseason, with Brad Marchand even evaluating him to Mitch Marner after the rookie posted three factors in his first three preseason contests.
However Tuesday’s matchup towards the Capitals represented essentially the most daunting ask for the younger pivot up to now. Not solely was he set to log top-six minutes towards a Washington roster rolling out a number of starters, however Poitras was skating on the second leg of a back-to-back slate after enjoying towards the Flyers on Monday.
Poitras already has his palms full adjusting to the added physicality and the toll that comes with enjoying night time in and night time out towards NHL competitors, particularly given his slender 5-foot-11, 180-pound body.
However even with some anticipated lulls on drained legs, Poitras nonetheless discovered a method to affect Tuesday’s preseason contest.
Skating alongside Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic on Boston’s prime line, Poitras uncorked a highlight-reel objective within the third interval – slipping previous Evgeny Kuznetsov and finally beating Darcy Kuemper with a number of fast dekes and a wrist shot.
“He performed virtually 17 minutes final night time and tonight he was over 18 minutes,” Jim Montgomery mentioned of Poitras. “So back-to-back with what is rare journey that you simply wouldn’t actually see within the common season. … General, he competed, proper? What you want is that he misplaced some battles, then he comes again and wins battles. That was a giant objective that he scored to tie it up and he continues to point out quite a lot of poise with the puck. “
It wasn’t the best begin for Poitras and that prime Bruins line, with Washington holding a 7-0 edge in pictures on objective towards that trio via the primary two intervals of play.
However Poitras elevated his play as the sport progressed. Alongside along with his third-period tally, Poitras blocked a shot throughout a suffocating O-zone shift from the Caps and stayed out on the ice for an additional 40 seconds earlier than the puck was cleared.
It nonetheless stays to be seen if Poitras has what it takes to final a complete season within the NHL at his age.
However he’s all however earned a spot up with Boston for a minimum of the primary 9 video games of the 2023-24 common season.
“I don’t know. However I believe I’ve performed fairly effectively and I’ve achieved every part I can,” Poitras mentioned when requested if he’s achieved sufficient to earn a spot. “So [I] simply suppose I made it fairly tough on them.”
Mason Lohrei makes a late push
Poitras has understandably drawn a lot of the reward amongst Boston’s crop of younger expertise thus far throughout preseason motion.
However with roster cuts looming on Wednesday, Mason Lohrei as soon as once more put collectively an encouraging efficiency towards the Capitals. The 22-year-old blueliner skated with Charlie McAvoy on Boston’s prime pair, logging a team-high 24:40 of ice time and scoring a objective within the first interval.
“I believed Lohrei was actually on his toes,” Montgomery mentioned. “That was the most effective I’ve seen him soar into the offense. Actually supporting performs. I actually love his objective, as a result of that’s the way in which we wish to play — like as soon as we get the puck, we wish to transition with 5 guys going. It was good to see a defenseman cross to a defenseman for a objective.”
As has been the case all through preseason motion, Lohrei’s poise with the puck and his potential to orchestrate scoring possibilities within the O-zone is clear — along with his 6-foot-4 body making him a possible top-four stalwart as he continues to mature and spherical out his total sport.
At this stage of his growth, it’s clear that Lohrei nonetheless must spherical out his D-zone play and skating, together with tacking on some added muscle.
However might Boston decide to have him study on the fly on the NHL stage in 2023-24?
Even along with his stable exhibiting thus far throughout preseason motion, Lohrei may be higher served beginning the yr in Windfall, the place a minimum of he can log 20+ minutes an evening and likewise earn prime power-play reps in the intervening time.
Even when Lohrei was to interrupt camp with Boston, he’s probably enjoying sheltered minutes additional down the lineup, with power-play shifts additionally onerous to return by.
Given his assorted skillset, my early learn on Lohrei was that he was going to want a minimum of a full yr within the AHL to essentially be thought-about a viable candidate for regular minutes on Boston’s roster.
However after what we’ve seen from him thus far, Lohrei may very well be a sensible candidate for a mid-season promotion, particularly if he makes the a lot of the heavy minutes that might be up for grabs in Windfall.
Lucic makes his presence felt with younger checking unit
For the primary time in 3,104 days (April 4, 2015), Milan Lucic took to the TD Backyard ice in a black-and-gold sweater.
And regardless that his position has modified from his days as a top-six stalwart, Lucic made an affect because the anchor on a probably intriguing fourth-line combo subsequent to Jakub Lauko and Johnny Beecher.
Together with establishing Lohrei’s tally within the first interval, Lucic lit the lamp as a Bruin for the primary time since March 31, 2015 — along with his tried feed to Beecher bouncing off a Caps stick and previous Kuemper at 8:23 within the second interval.
Lucic’s spot as Boston’s fourth-line left wing has been all however a lock since camp opened. However slotting him subsequent to 2 fleet-footed skaters able to touchdown some welts in Beecher and Lauko might give Boston a punishing checking unit.
“I believed that was a very efficient line,” Montgomery mentioned. “I gave them some O-zone begins, however largely D-zone begins. I don’t know the stats. I believed Beecher did effectively on the dot, received some huge attracts for us. So the pace and the mixture of pace and can was fairly evident. They did quite a lot of good issues on the market.”
The chance needs to be there for Lauko to develop into his position in Boston’s backside six after impressing beneath restricted reps in 2022-23.
However Beecher has additionally put his finest foot ahead this camp and may need leapfrogged Patrick Brown as Boston’s go-to possibility because the workforce’s fourth-line heart.
Alongside along with his major help on Lucic’s objective, Beecher landed 4 hits, recorded 4 takeaways and received seven of 13 faceoff alternatives towards Washington.
“I believed he was actually good,” Montgomery mentioned of Beecher. “I believed he received quite a lot of battles that created offense. He received quite a lot of good offense from protection which is one thing that was very encouraging to see. He performed a very good hockey sport.”
Free pucks
It was a little bit of a sluggish begin for Ullmark, however the reigning Vezina Trophy winner become a brick wall as the sport progressed. On an evening the place Boston’s D-zone protection left quite a bit to be desired, Ullmark recorded 18 saves on high-danger pictures.
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A possible second-line possibility of Pavel Zacha, James van Riemsdyk, and David Pastrnak opened the scoring for Boston — with van Riemsdyk knocking house a feed from Pastrnak simply 53 seconds into the sport.
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Extra roster cuts may very well be introduced as quickly as Wednesday as Boston goals to get its camp roster down to 1 group forward of Thursday’s sport towards the Rangers.
The Bruins shed numerous gamers off their roster on Tuesday afternoon — putting ahead Anthony Richard and defensemen Alec Regula, Dan Renouf, Reilly Walsh and Parker Wotherspoon on waivers for the aim of task to Windfall. Each Fabian Lysell and Michael Callahan can even report back to Windfall coaching camp.
“I believe Lysell’s had moments the place he’s been good,” Montgomery mentioned. “He’s had moments the place he’s struggled, simply so far as he’s drafted to be a talented offensive participant and as a way to be a talented offensive participant, you’ve received to provide and we haven’t seen the manufacturing but.”
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A little bit of a lackluster exhibiting from Jakub Zboril, who may very well be liable to shedding his spot as Boston’s seventh D to Ian Mitchell as camp begins to wrap up. Trevor Kuntar was a fly in ointment throughout his restricted ice time on Tuesday, typically skating on a line with heavy D-zone reps alongside Danton Heinen and Jayson Megna.
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Forward of puck drop, the Bruins held a second of silence in reminiscence of Tim Wakefield, Russ Francis, and Chris Snow.
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