BOSTON — The Bruins put together a lineup that closely resembles what could be seen in next week’s season opener and showcased a dominant performance in a 4-1 preseason win over the Flyers on Tuesday at TD Garden.
Boston emphasized checking and defense, effectively limiting Philadelphia’s opportunities in front of rookie goaltender Brandon Bussi.
“I really liked our first period, parts of the second, and I really liked our third,” head coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought they managed the game well. Our commitment to checking was the best part. It led to a lot of offensive zone time, which wore them down and created plenty of scoring chances.”
Justin Brazeau tipped a shot past Samuel Ersson midway through the first period. After Travis Konecney tied it just before the halfway mark of the second, Tyler Johnson capitalized on a nice power-play assist from David Pastrnak with 12:10 left in the third.
Charlie Coyle and Mark Kastelic both added empty-net goals in the final two minutes, turning what had been a close game into a comfortable victory.
The Bruins outshot the Flyers 34-14, including an 18-3 advantage in the first period.
“I thought the team looked good tonight,” Montgomery said. “It was a step in the right direction.”
MARCHAND LEAVES EARLY
Bruins captain Brad Marchand’s first preseason appearance lasted just one period, as an illness that had been bothering him earlier in the week forced him to exit after the first 20 minutes.
“That’s why he didn’t practice yesterday. He wasn’t feeling well two days ago,” Montgomery said. “When he showed up this morning, he felt good, but it came back.”
EARLY SEASON LINE COMBINATIONS TAKING SHAPE
The Bruins’ early-season lines appear to be coming together. Before Marchand exited, the lines were as follows:
- Elias Lindholm centering David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha
- Charlie Coyle centering Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie
- Tyler Johnson between Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau
- Mark Kastelic centering Johnny Beecher and Cole Koepke
Montgomery also continued to experiment with defensive pairings, with Hampus Lindholm paired with Charlie McAvoy, Mason Lohrei with Brandon Carlo, and Nikita Zadorov with Andrew Peeke.
ELIA LINDHOLM’S DEBUT: MIXED FEELINGS
Elias Lindholm, returning to practice Sunday after missing nine days of training camp, got some game action on Tuesday. He felt his performance was a bit uneven.
“There’s definitely some rust. It’s always good to get the first one out of the way. Hopefully, I’ll improve from here,” Lindholm said. “It was one of those games where some shifts felt really good, and others not so much. We’ll get to know each other more and more, but there’s definitely something there.”
Jim Montgomery agreed that the chemistry on the top line wasn’t as sharp as it had been in practice.
“Not as much as we’ve seen in practice. They can move the puck better and faster than what we saw tonight,” he said. “But the plays Lindholm makes through the middle show he’s going to really help our offensive game.”
TYLER JOHNSON IMPRESSES
Veteran Tyler Johnson, playing on a Professional Tryout Agreement, made a strong case for a roster spot with the game-winning goal on the power play.
“I think he’s improved throughout camp, and tonight he was really good,” Montgomery said. “He made subtle plays in the first two games, and tonight was a really strong effort.”
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