The Boston Bruins took on the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night at the TD Garden. The Bruins were unable to stay undefeated in the preseason losing to the Red Wings 3-1. But Monday saw the much anticipated first start of Bruins number one goalie Tuukka Rask.
Rask struggled in the game allowing three goals on 24 shots; it was a disappointing game overall by Rask but good to get him back on the ice. This was only a warm-up for Rask and fans should not be worried it is only preseason; Monday was also the return of Jonas Gustavsson. With Malcolm Subban sent back down to Providence, it is between Jeremy Smith and Jonas Gustavsson for the backup spot.
Smith has played a little bit more then Gustavsson only because he went home for his first child’s birth, but don’t be surprised to see Gustavsson getting a full game as we head into the final games of the preseason. Between the two goalies the Bruins are still probably more likely to pick Gustavsson because he has actual experience in the NHL. The Bruins were dominated early on by the Red Wings and the defense looked lost at times during the game.
The Bruins played almost all of their young defensemen; only Torey Krug and Kevin Miller were veterans that played on Monday. Krug and Colin Miller were the only two defensemen to get on the score sheet both assisting Loui Eriksson’s power play goal. It was a tough task for the young defensemen and this could be the look of the Bruins for at least in the early part of the season if Chara is out for longer than expected.
Colin Miller and Joe Morrow both had a solid game for the Bruins and look to stick with the club, and Linus Arnesson looked decent but struggled at points. The Bruins played many of their top forwards in the game and struggled to find any offense against Jimmy Howard. They finally broke through late in the third period with a power play goal from Loui Eriksson.
For players like Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron this was just another tune up for the upcoming season. But for players like Frank Vatrano and Austin Czarnik they are still trying to prove that they belong on this team and could make an impact for the Bruins. My three stars of the night are mostly Red Wings for Monday’s game.
Third star Loui Eriksson, Eriksson had the only goal for the Bruins and didn’t have a bad game overall. Second star Tomas Jurco; Jurco had a goal and an assist in the win against the Bruins. First star Jimmy Howard, Howard allowed one goal on 32 shots and played great for the Red Wings. Howard showed why he could still be the number one goalie for the Red Wings this upcoming season.
The Bruins will take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
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