Bruins @ Flyers Preview: Swayman Starts; Roster Shrinking

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Boston Bruins Game Day Preview:

Boston Bruins (1-2) @ Philadelphia Flyers (1-2)

TIME: 7 p.m. ET

TV: NESN Plus, NHLN

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

NHL Betting Odds:

Money Line: Flyers -142, Bruins +120

Puck Line: Flyers -1.5 (+150), Bruins +1.5 (-180)

Over/Under: 6.5

Murph’s Pick: The NHL betting feel here is a low-scoring game is on tap in Philly. Under 6.5.

Bost0n Bruins Notes

The two practice groups for the Boston Bruins on Sunday had a distinctly NHL vs. AHL feel. Jim Montgomery told reporters after the two practice sessions that there were two reasons for splitting the two groups into mostly veterans and mostly younger players.

“For us, there’s two things,” Montgomery said Sunday. “You want to see how the first group [of veterans] responds and, even more importantly, the second group [of young players] – who keeps pushing? Are they reading it like [the media], and do they think that their plate is already set, that maybe they’ll be going to Providence? We want to see who digs in there. Some players did dig in; some looked like they were thinking about other things than competing.”

The prototype for the opening night roster is expected to be on the ice at Madison Square Garden on Thursday against the New York Rangers.

“Essentially, that will be our team,” Montgomery said. “Not exactly because we’re gonna have some guys maybe play back-to-back games the way we’re setting it up. But we’re also looking at power-play units, having one power-play unit play each game so they get the minutes the next two games, and then we go to the two power-play units playing the same game in Madison Square Garden.”

With that in mind, tonight could be the last chance for fringe players like center Marc McLaughlin, winger Fabian Lysell, and Matthew Poitras to show they belong on the 2023-24 Boston Bruins roster. The former two are likely to be sent to Providence by Tuesday morning, but the feel around the team is that if Poitras impresses again tonight, he will stay with the Bruins until the end of the week.

Swayman Gets First Start

After 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark got the nod between the pipes on Friday night, his Jennings Trophy-winning partner Jeremy Swayman will get his first preseason start tonight.

Four Down; Two To Go

This will be the fourth preseason game for the Bruins and the second game of a home-and-home with the Philadelphia Flyers after the Flyers won the first game 4-3 in a shootout at TD Garden this past Friday.

Here’s the remaining preseason schedule:

– Oct. 3 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA | TV: NESN | Radio: 98.5)

Forwards

Jake DeBrusk-Charlie Coyle-Fabian Lysell

Jesper Boqvist-Matthew Poitras-Marc McLaughlin

A.J. Greer-Morgan Geekie-Oskar Steen

Anthony Richard-Patrick Brown-Justin Brazeau

Defensemen

Hampus Lindholm-Ian Mitchell

Michael Callahan-Brandon Carlo

Dan Renouf-Reilly Walsh

Goalies

Jeremy Swayman

Brandon Bussi

Philadelphia Flyers Lineup:

Forwards

Joel Farabee – Sean Couturier – Travis Konecny

Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Cam Atkinson

Michael Laughton – Noah Cates – Tyson Foerster

Wade Allison – Ryan Poehling – Bobby Brink

Defense

Cam York – Rasmus Ristolainen

Egor Zamula – Travis Sanheim

Ronnie Attard – Adam Ginning

Goalies

Sam Ersson

Cal Petersen