Bruins Postgame: Poitras and Bussi Shine

BOSTON, MA — The Boston Bruins kicked off the 2023-24 preseason with a 3-0 shutout over the New York Rangers, and Head Coach Jim Montgomery is thrilled with what he saw.

With one preseason game under their belt, the Boston Bruins are set to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at the KeyBank Center. Pipeline guys who have earned it will get the chance to continue to prove themselves worthy. Until then, here is a wrap-up of Sunday’s win.

CLUTCH:

Mathew Poitras continued to make a name for himself in this one, notching his first preseason goal in the first period on the powerplay with a great handle on the puck. The Brooklin, Ontario native also displayed a tremendous two-way game on Sunday.

“Seeing that one go in definitely goes a long way to sell the nerves down and just get going,” Poitras told the media following Sunday’s preseason game.

Mathew Poitras grabs his first preseason goal.

Great handle and finish:
pic.twitter.com/Tc5OEV3H93

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) September 24, 2023

Poitras also notched an assist on Jake DeBrusk‘s second-period goal, using his quick hands to receive a pass from James van Riemsdyk and send it right over to DeBrusk. The 19-year-old’s skill is undeniable, and Montgomery expressed that he deserves more chances throughout the preseason.

Jake DeBrusk makes it 2-0.

Great looks from JVR and Poitras: pic.twitter.com/EFDX5CDunw

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) September 24, 2023

BANGER: 

Late in the third period, A.J. Greer laid a huge hit on New York’s Connor Mackey and was greeted by Ben Harpur afterward. Standing 6-foot-3, Greer had a three-inch height disadvantage, and as the fight went on, it was clear Greer was biting off more than he could chew. The Boston Bruins and Rangers meet again in the preseason on October 5, and Milan Lucic most likely took notes on that one.

A.J. Greer with a tough fight against Ben Harpur: pic.twitter.com/fdrohQRmwL

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) September 25, 2023

DOGHOUSE: 

Fabian Lysell is sitting in the dog house. He did not have a bad game, but more is expected from the Bruins’ 2021 first-round (21st overall) draft pick. Lysell had a few good sequences, but throughout Sunday’s game, he did not stand out. In the second period, he took on four defensemen alone, which cannot fly in the National Hockey League. The Gothenburg, Sweden native could also better position himself to support the puck in the offensive zone.

UNSUNG HERO:

Sunday’s unsung hero is Brandon Bussi, simply because he displayed electrifying goaltending throughout the night and secured a 29-save shutout. Bussi took control on several penalty kills, stopped big-time break-aways, and already had a save that should be qualified for the save of the year. The Sound Beach, New York native humbly responded to the media following his elite performance.

“Sometimes you just got to compete and get a little luck, so pretty fortunate I made that save and a lot of credit to the team for the defense in front of me. It was a great effort tonight…Just a wild experience overall. I don’t think I’ve ever played in front of a crowd that excited that much energy. It’s only preseason. It’s a testament to how great our fans are.

I think I was just more excited for the opportunity. I worked really hard last year and kind of climbed the ladder in a way, and just kind of excited with the opportunity. Didn’t really have an expectation…Did I know tonight was going to happen like this? I mean you just compete, and you see what happens.”

Brandon Bussi is a problem: pic.twitter.com/0PUrneL74c

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) September 24, 2023

KEY STAT: 

The key statistic of the night is high-danger scoring chances simply because the Rangers won that battle, 10 to 4. Granted, it is preseason, but the Bruins need to create more high-danger scoring chances because, looking at this game alone, they scored on 75 percent of them.

IN THEIR WORDS: 

Montgomery was thrilled with what he saw from his pipeline guys in the first preseason game. He noted that Bussi, Poitras, and John Beecher played excellent on Sunday but expects everyone to keep working hard for roster spots.

“As camp goes on, it gets harder, and the people that rise to the top are the ones that are going to make it. So, it’s a really good start for several players tonight, but they got to keep building on it.”

LINEUP:

Forwards

James van Riemsdyk-Matthew Poitras-Jake DeBrusk

Anthony Richard-Morgan Geekie-Trent Frederic

Brett Harrison-Jayson Megna-Fabian Lysell

A.J.Greer-Johnny Beecher-Patrick Brown

Defensemen

Jakub Zboril-Alec Regula

Michael Callahan-Reilly Walsh

Parker Wotherspoon-Ian Mitchell

Goalies

Brandon Bussi

Kyle Keyser