As the Bruins were putting the finishing touches on their 4-1 win over the Flyers Tuesday night in their final home game of the preseason, Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” played over the TD Garden PA system with its chorus of “Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing’s gonna be all right.”
Maybe it was just wishful thinking on the part of the arena DJ, but it was also a sentiment expressed by Boston captain Brad Marchand earlier in the day and one that was supported by the team’s performance Tuesday night.
Amid all the chaos and confusion surrounding Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation, Bruins fans could be forgiven for thinking, at least for a little while, that everything actually might turn out all right.
First, there were Marchand’s comments to the media after morning skate. Whether they reflected his true feelings or were just a captain saying what a captain should say, Marchand sounded calm and confident that Swayman and the front office will still be able to get a deal done.
“This is part of the game. It's part of the business. It's the part that nobody enjoys. Eventually, a deal is going to get done and everyone's gonna move on and be fine,” Marchand said.
Then there was the game, the Bruins’ first real dress rehearsal, featuring more or less their expected opening night lineup. And, well, they looked damn good. Dominant, even. Sure, the Flyers aren’t exactly the class of the league, but they’re not in the basement either, and they iced a real NHL lineup as well.
There was a lot to like from the Bruins. The team’s biggest offseason acquisition, center Elias Lindholm, made his preseason debut after returning from an injury suffered on the first day of training camp. It took a couple shifts to shake off the rust and find some chemistry with linemates David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, but once he did, Boston’s new first line started to click. They didn’t score, but that trio did dominate possession shift after shift and create some good chances. The Bruins tripled up the Flyers in shot attempts (12-4) and scoring chances (9-3) during their 5-on-5 shifts.
“The plays that Lindholm makes through the middle of the ice, his poise, his hockey sense, you can tell he’s going to be someone that really adds to our offensive game,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of his new No. 1 center.
Marchand also made his preseason debut after returning from three offseason surgeries. In the biggest scare of the night, he left the game after the first period and did not return. But even that was followed by a positive update, as it turns out Marchand was just sick and will be fine. No re-aggravation of any injury. No reason to worry about a thing.
Joining Marchand and Charlie Coyle on the second line was Morgan Geekie, who appears to have won the battle for that vacant right-wing job, at least to start the season. He has quietly had a strong training camp, winning a public vote of support from Marchand along the way, and that continued Tuesday with a good performance, as he and Coyle combined to create several scoring chances. The Bruins also had a decisive edge in shot attempts (15-7) and scoring chances (9-4) when those two were on the ice.
Versatile veteran Tyler Johnson, still playing on a PTO, made his strongest case yet to get a real contract, centering a third line with Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau that was even more dominant than the top two lines. They scored the game’s first goal, with an offensive-zone cycle leading to a Brazeau tap-in at the top of the crease off a nice pass from the Bruins’ other big free-agent signing, Nikita Zadorov. Johnson then broke a 1-1 tie in the third period with a power-play goal off a feed from Zacha. The Bruins out-attempted the Flyers 10-3 with the third line on the ice and led 5-0 in scoring chances.
“I think he’s gotten better through camp, and I thought tonight he was really good,” Montgomery said of Johnson. “I thought he made real subtle plays in the first two games he played. Tonight was a real good effort, like not because of the goal. I thought his line was our best line tonight. I thought Frederic and Brazeau were excellent.”
That assist from Zadorov highlighted another positive development: how involved Boston’s defensemen were offensively. Montgomery has made that a point of emphasis all camp, and the results were on display Tuesday. Defensemen combined for 32 of the Bruins’ 67 total shot attempts in the game, with all six D recording at least three. Andrew Peeke was a surprising team leader with eight. These weren’t just weak wrist shots from the point either. They were hammering slappers, looking for tips and screens, and they were consistently pinching down the flanks to attack from different angles like Zadorov did on Brazeau’s goal.
“I liked all three pairings, to be honest,” Montgomery said of his defense. “I thought they looked good. I liked how active they were. I liked how they kept pucks alive in the offensive zone, being aggressive.
“And the most impressive thing was how shot-ready they were. … Every time the puck came back, they were ready to pound it. That’s something that we’re trying to really make our defensemen aware and ready to do this year.”
Another point of emphasis for these Bruins has been playing physical and finishing more checks. They have done that all preseason, and did again Tuesday. The fourth line of Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic and Cole Koepke really set the tone in that respect, especially on the forecheck. Kastelic in particular continues to agitate every opponent he faces and might be gunning for the unofficial record for most post-whistle scrums in a single preseason. He also scored an empty-netter late to seal the win.
“The best part was how committed we were to checking,” Montgomery said. “I thought that our checking led to a lot of O-zone time, which led to wearing them down and creating scoring chances.”
Koepke continues to make a real case to be on the opening night roster, either as a fourth-liner or an extra forward. Until Swayman’s contract gets done, the Bruins can easily afford to carry 14 forwards if they want, which would mean there’s room for all of Koepke, Johnson, Matt Poitras (who didn’t play Tuesday) and Max Jones (who hasn’t played all preseason due to injury, but is expected to get into at least one of the final two preseason games).
Last but certainly not least, there was the elephant in the room: the goaltending. Joonas Korpisalo has looked good all camp, easing some of the concerns about his rough season in Ottawa last year. The Bruins still need a second goalie until Swayman gets on the ice, though, and that’s where there were still some real concerns.
Brandon Bussi had struggled in his first two preseason games, but took a step in the right direction Tuesday. He only faced 14 shots (again, the Bruins were dominant in this one), and he still gave up one tough rebound on the Flyers’ goal, but he made a couple great saves in the third period. Bussi denied Anthony Richard on a breakaway in a 1-1 game early in the period and then robbed Sean Couturier on a point-blank chance to preserve a 2-1 lead later.
“I thought Bussi was really good tonight,” Montgomery said. “I thought he read the plays well. I thought he was aggressive. He was moving well. … The save on Richard, it was important at that moment in the game.”
Does anything that happened Tuesday actually mean every little thing’s gonna be all right? That would be a stretch. It was just one media scrum with the captain and one preseason game, after all. The Swayman situation remains very much unresolved. But the Bruins and their fans desperately needed some positive vibes, and Tuesday at least provided that, even if just for a few hours.