Monday night saw the Boston Bruins open up the pre season against the New Jersey Devils. Neither squad had their big time starters out, but the young guys seemed to hold their own. All eyes were on Bruins goalie Jonas Gustavsson, as he started the first period with a lot to prove.
No one had seen the monster in NHL action since he went down last season with an injury, but there looked to be no rust on him. Gustavsson was sold through the period and a half that he played. He made many good saves through traffic and didn’t miss a beat. Jeremy Smith preceded him in the second half of the second period for many fans first look at the young goalie.
Smith was solid for the rest of the game; he made many key saves and protected the lead. Between the two goalies right now it looks like Gustavsson has a slight advantage over Smith right now. Gustavsson started the game and made 18 saves, many of them coming through traffic and in high pressure situations.
While Smith looked good, he didn’t look as good as Gustavsson, and I think that Gustavsson has passed Smith on the depth chart. On the blue line it was Matt Irwin who looked like a man amongst boys, Irwin had both goals in the game and looked solid in his own zone. Colin Miller also looked like he has a ton of potential, getting time with the first team power play.
Jakub Zboril was also a player of high interest for many Bruins fans; he had a rough game with a penalty, and looked a little dazed on some plays. Ryan Spooner and Jim Hayes led the forwards, both easily breaking through the defense on many occasions. Alexander Khokhlachev looked great in the game, but he couldn’t hit the net with any shot.
Of all the forwards, it’s Khoklachev who has the most to prove, a story came out saying that he was frustrated over not getting his shot yet. Khoklachev looked frustrated in the game, and looked like he was trying to do way too much. The team looked good during the game, and even brought a ton of intensity at the end of the game.
The Bruins had a great game overall with all the starters looking like they could compete for a starting job. Their defense looked solid and contributed all the offense to the Bruins on Sunday night. The win rocked the Dunkin Donuts center, bringing the nearly sold out crowd to their feet during the salute.
The three stars of the game were all players that played a huge role in Sunday’s victory. Third star: Ryan Spooner had a great game making plays in both the offensive and defensive zones he also looked faster and leaner than last season. Second star: Jonas Gustavsson, who was solid in net for an 18 save shutout.
Gustavsson proved that he still has some left in the tank and helped his case for the Bruins main roster. First star: Matt Irwin, Irwin played unbelievable in his first game in Boston. He nearly had a hat trick and had two great goals that helped lift the Bruins to Victory.
The Bruins will take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
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