New general manager Don Sweeney, who took over for Peter Chiarelli last May, reworked the Bruins’ roster over the summer and made his biggest splash by signing forward Matt Beleskey to a five-year, $19 million contract as an unrestricted free agent.
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The Boston Bruins kicked their seven-game preseason schedule off at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on Sunday night by way of a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
A pair of players were missing as the Bruins continued training camp Monday.
Perhaps this is a personal thing, but isn’t it odd when news surfaces that a veteran player is finally deciding to “eat right?”
Alexander Khokhlachev, the Bruins’ second-round pick in 2011 (40th overall), made some waves on Saturday when he told reporters that he hasn’t been given a fair chance to make the Boston club.
The team did a good job of putting pressure on the Bruins defense and goalie Jonas Gustavsson, outshooting Boston 7-2 in the opening period.
And the truth is that given the fact he’s an out-of-the-pipeline talent, I think the Bruins will want a longer look at him than what this seven-game sample will provide. I thought he was one of their best players. He was also the beneficiary of a good call when the refs waved off a puck gloved into the net by Adam Henrique during a mad scramble in front of the cage.
Pastrnak’s goal-scoring ability is not in doubt.
Irwin, who had eight goals in 53 games for the San Jose Sharks last season, opened the scoring at 6:12 of the second period. It was the first game, so it took us probably 10 or 12 minutes to settle down, but that’s fine for a goaltender. He scored again in the third during a 5-on-3 man advantage.
The Devils weren’t denied opportunities on the power play themselves.
If there is one thing head coach John Hynes could work on, it’s the power play.
Claude Julien said after the second of Boston’s three sessions Monday that Griffith was going to be checked out by team doctors on Monday. It may have helped that they played some regulars from a Jersey squad that finished with the third-fewest goals in the league past year and a bunch of kids, but a shutout is a shutout and Gustavsson (and Smith for that matter) looked comfortable in net. On Offense the Spooner Hayes line was solid as to be expected.
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The Devils face the Rangers Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
