The Boston Bruins took the ice for the first time in their 2023 Training Camp. Here are the top storylines of the day.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston Bruins kicked off on-ice activity Thursday after officially opening training camp the day before. The 32 forwards, 18 defensemen and six goaltenders split into two sessions – one at 10 a.m. and the other at 12 p.m. – to go through the first sets of drills.
While the defensemen mostly rotated into different pairings, the forward lines showed some interesting combinations:
Group A Top Forward Lines
Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Fabian Lysell
Jake DeBrusk-Georgii Merkulov-Danton Heinen
Trent Frederic-Morgan Geekie-Anthony Richard
Brett Harrison-Jayson Megna-Oskar Steen
Group B Top Forward Lines
James van Riemsdyk-Pavel Zacha-Marc McLaughlin
Milan Lucic-John Beecher-Jakub Lauko
Jesper Boqvist-Matt Poitras-David Pastrnak
AJ Greer-Patrick Brown-Alex Chiasson
Here are five observations from the first day of on-ice activity:
Letting the Kids Play (Up)
In Group A, Fabian Lysell skated with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle, while Georgii Merkulov centered Jake DeBrusk and PTO Danton Heinen. In Group B, Matthew Poitras lined up with David Pastrnak, and Marc McLaughlin played on Pavel Zacha’s wing.
Montgomery said he likes matching younger players with established veterans early on to “show them the Bruins way,” but singled out the Poitras-Pastrnak partnership as an example of testing chemistry. Poitras, 19, tallied 79 assists in 63 games with the OHL’s Guelph Storm last season, and Montgomery wanted to test that combination.
“Play-making center, see what he can do with a proven scorer [in Pastrnak],” Montgomery said about Poitras.
On Wednesday, Montgomery and general manager Don Sweeney emphasized that age won’t prevent a player from earning a spot on the lineup. The top performers will make the team, and while the lines will surely shuffle throughout camp, giving those prospects the first crack with top line players provides a big opportunity to show how they mesh with NHL players.
“Obviously skating with a guy like that as a young guy, I felt a little nervous,” Poitras said. “[Pastrnak] said, ‘Don’t be nervous, just play, and have a good practice.’”
Early Look at Fourth Line?
While the top lines had some shuffling involving established veterans and top prospects, the line of Milan Lucic, John Beecher and Jakub Lauko stuck out as a potential fourth-line. Lucic already seems like a lock for the fourth-line left wing, and based on the way the organization views what Beecher can bring to the table, it looks like he could have the inside track on the 4C spot.
“I think everybody at camp is fighting for a spot,” Beecher said. “I think if I want to contribute to the team this year and be able to help them, [fourth line center] is probably where I’m going to do the best. It’s not a role that I have any problem playing.”
On Wednesday, Montgomery mentioned the need for more left-shots taking face-offs, and on Thursday he said Beecher’s ability on the draw “absolutely” gives him a path to earning a roster spot.
Czech Mates
Pastrnak and Zacha linked up for the 2-on-2 drills and put together a couple highlight reel plays. While they lined up separately in other drills, the two established a good connection last season, which could be key in Zacha’s success as a center if that carries over into 2023-24.
“It’s very easy transition to play with [Zacha],” Pastrnak told reporters on Monday. “He’s a very smart hockey player. He can adapt. Not every hockey player has that talent to adapt to the other players, and he have it.”
Frederic-Geekie Connection
On Wednesday, Montgomery confirmed Trent Frederic will play on the wing this season, and he'll primarily play on the third line. With Coyle sliding up to the top six, the third-line center position is open for the taking, and free agent signing Geekie could be the lead candidate for that role. His connection with Frederic during camp could provide a sneak peak at that line.
“We’re just starting to get to know him [Geekie],” Montgomery said. “We want to see what kind of plays he makes, how he takes care of the puck and how he defends.”
DiPietro Sharp in 2-on-2
The goaltender “competition” is anything but at Bruins training camp, with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman firmly entrenched as the NHL netminders, but the 24-year-old DiPietro made a series of impressive stops in the team’s 2-on-2 drills.
DiPietro spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, posting a .918 save percentage and 2.61 GAA in 29 games. He made one appearance with AHL Providence last season, stopping 33 of 35 shots in a 4-2 win against the Syracuse Crunch (TBL) on Mar. 15. With a continued strong showing in camp, DiPietro could see much more time in Providence this season.
A lot of storylines are starting to form after just one day, so make sure to follow along with The Hockey News for all your Bruins coverage