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In the first home preseason game of the highly anticipated 2014-15 campaign for the Boston Bruins, the game was, well, just that. For over two periods, the Bruins and Washington Capitals skated with the energy of a late-September affair. But when journeyman AHL goaltender Jeremy Smith straight-up robbed Andre Burakovsky of a sure-goal with a ridiculous, sprawling glove-save in the third, the TD Garden came to life, and the B’s struck twice, sinking the Caps by a 2-0 final.
Jumping ahead with goals from Zdeno Chara (a power-play goal scored with the 6-foot-9 captain parked in front of the net, a tune familiar to that of last season) and an empty-netter from Simon Gagne, the Bruins knew the importance of their puckstopper’s late-game save.
“If Smitty [Jeremy Smith] didn’t make that big save we wouldn’t be probably sitting here talking about [that win],… Chara noted after the win, the club’s first of the preseason. “That was a game changer; he was obviously in the right place at the right time and made a huge save and that decided that game.…
The Bruins’ power play had an interesting look to it tonight, as well.
Without 2013-14 power play regulars David Krejci, Loui Eriksson, Carl Soderberg, and not to mention Jarome Iginla (Colorado), and the still unsigned Torey Krug and Reilly Smith, the B’s man-advantage went to work with what little familiarity they had, and finally broke through on their third opportunity of the night.
“We just kind of quickly went through some options this morning, but we didn’t really practice it. You could tell the timing was off and it was more like we were just trying to obviously be there for each other, but it’s probably going to take more practices and getting used to each other,… said Chara of the club’s mix-and-match power play look. “We didn’t probably practice enough, but that’s just the way it is in training camp. You focus on other things; it was nice to get that power play goal though.…
The options included the veteran Gagne on the point with Hamilton while Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand worked with Chara as the forwards. The return to power-play ice-time served Marchand (who had nine power-play goals from 2011 to 2013) well, as he picked up a power-play assist.
“I felt comfortable out there, and it’s tough to get back into it because every time you mess up you feel like you’re going to get taken off [the power play], and that’s a tough way to feel,… Marchand admitted of his role within the Bruins’ power play. “But at the same time, I know it’s an opportunity to show that I can be there.…
The additional ice-time didn’t take away from Marchand’s other skills, either, as he drew two penalties against the Caps and finished with a team-high six shots in 20:38 of time on ice.
On Marchand’s opposite wing, the Reilly Smith Replacement was in full effect with Seth Griffith getting a crack on the line centered by Patrice Bergeron. Griffith, a 5-foot-11 winger drafted by the Bruins with the 131st overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft, is coming off a 20-g0al, 50-point year with the Providence Bruins, and plays with a speedy, shift skill-set that’s quite similar to his linemate, No. 63.
“He’s very quick and he makes it tough out there on opponents. He made a few really good plays out there tonight. One to Bergy that sent me in on a partial break, and I wish I could have buried it for him, but he played a great game, played strong,… Marchand said of Griffith (a right shooting right wing). “I don’t think he really made any mistakes so that’s his first game, hopefully he’ll continue to get better.…
As for the vets looking to make the squad, Gagne and Ville Leino, it was a heavy dosage of ice-time.
Gagne logged 18:54 of time on ice (including 4:11 of power-play time on ice and 1:26 of shorthanded time on ice), while Leino finished the night with just under 17 minutes on the ice in 19 shifts. Now, I think both of these guys could bring something to the Bruins in 2014-15, but I think there’s realistically only one that’ll be offered a contract (if that). And it won’t be an easy decision for the Black and Gold. Personally, I thought Leino’s game around the net is a strong way, though his speed is certainly an issue. On the flip side, I do have my concerns about Gagne holding up over the course of an 82-game grind after a year away from hockey.
There are pros and cons to both guys, really, but Gagne felt (and looked) better than he did last night.
“I felt a huge difference from last night. Legs were a little bit more stiff maybe from playing back to back games, but I think it’s normal from not playing a game in almost a year and a half,… the 34-year-old veteran said after tonight’s tilt. “A little rusty yesterday, but I felt better today with the puck. Vision wise, more patient with the puck, not as nervous with the puck, taking maybe a little bit more time with it before making a play. I saw a little bit of improvement today from last game. It’s not quite where I want, but at least it’s getting a little better every game and that’s my goal. It’s only game two of preseason and we have five or six more games. So hopefully after those games, I’ll be close to where I want to be.…
In the cage, goaltender and defending Vezina-winner Tuukka Rask stopped all 14 shots thrown his way in his first preseason appearance, while Smith stopped 12 en route to the combined shutout.
The Bruins play next on Friday night when they travel to D.C. for a rematch against the Capitals.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com