Gordie Howe hat methods aren’t a customary a part of preseason play, however new Boston Bruins ahead Mark Kastelic got here shut to at least one Thursday night time.
Kastelic, who the Bruins acquired this offseason from the Ottawa Senators within the commerce of Linus Ullmark, scored a second-period purpose and dropped the gloves simply over three minutes after discovering the again of the web. The one factor lacking for Kasetlic was an help in a 5-2 exhibition loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Kastelic was a vivid spot in a quite mundane efficiency from the Bruins, who allowed two targets within the last 1:55 of the primary interval to fall right into a two-goal gap.
Kastelic’s scrappy exhibiting ought to go over effectively with Jim Montgomery because the Bruins head coach noticed precisely what he wished to see out of the competition within the veteran ahead’s play.
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“An important factor here’s what we’re searching for is see our group sport construct, which that was under common tonight,” Montgomery instructed reporters, per team-provided video. “The opposite half is people making a mark themselves and exhibiting some emotion and physicality when issues aren’t going our strategy to construct momentum for the group.”
Kastelic positive did attempt to present the latter for the Bruins. The 25-year-old muscled his strategy to the entrance of the web with 6:32 left within the second interval and redirected a shot from Drew Bavaro previous Rangers netminder Jonathan Fast.
Kastelic appeared to maintain the momentum up when he fought Rangers defenseman Connor Mackey later within the body. The scrap occurred after the 6-foot-4, 226-pound Kastelic, who is thought for his bruising model, lit up Mackey within the nook.
That sort of play and manufacturing definitely will go a great distance for Kastelic to ingratiate himself with Bruins followers. And it would not be a shock if he shortly turns into a fan favourite for his hard-nosed efforts.
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Listed below are extra notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Rangers sport:
— Brandon Bussi acquired his second have a look at the Rangers this preseason and had an uneven efficiency. He performed the whole sport and made 28 saves however allowed 4 targets. The targets weren’t solely on him as one in all them got here on a 5-on-3 energy play and one other on a breakaway. The 26-year-old struggled with controlling rebounds as he contends for a roster spot.
“I believe they did a superb job of making an attempt to get our bodies in entrance, getting a stick on lots of photographs, redirecting them. Credit score to them,” Bussi instructed reporters, per team-provided video. “I believe rebounds have been the massive factor tonight. You clear these up a little bit bit, you may have a little bit simpler night time in internet.”
— Nikita Zadorov and his hulking 6-foot-6, 248-pound body might have made lots of noise in his preseason debut with Boston, however it was a quiet efficiency from the Bruins newcomer with a few hiccups, too. Zadorov took a cross-checking penalty within the first interval to arrange New York’s 5-on-3 man benefit, and later within the stanza, he had a misplay alongside the boards that led to Brennan Othmann’s breakaway purpose.
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— Brett Harrison is a longshot to make the roster, however he notched the primary purpose for the Bruins with a affected person transfer to beat Fast. Morgan Geekie registered the help.
— The Bruins performed a small handful of NHL regulars within the loss as Kastelic, Zadorov, Geekie, David Pastrnak, Matthew Poitras, Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy all took the ice. Poitras, Zacha and Pastrnak skated on the identical line, and every completed as a minus-3.
— Zacha served in a brand new function as an alternate captain for the competition. It is doubtless solely a preseason honor for the ahead, who’s getting into his tenth NHL season. Pastrnak and McAvoy additionally wore the stitched ‘A’ on their jerseys like they did final season.
— The Bruins play their fourth preseason sport Saturday night time in Philadelphia towards the Flyers. Puck drop from Wells Fargo Middle is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
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