Bruins drop preseason opener to Capitals, 5-2

"One thing that popped for the Bruins in their preseason opener at the Garden was their sharp new uniforms that harken back to the 1980s vintage. But the unis topped a very short list of positives for the B's in their 5-2 loss to a Washington Capitals lineup that was lighter on projected NHLers than the Black-and-Gold side."

"The first preseason is far from a make-or-break proposition for seasoned veterans, who are just trying to shake the rust off. But every game is important for young players trying to make an impression and none of those kids took a big leap forward. The B's line of Matej Blumel, Matt Poitras and Alex Steeves were a minus-3. The line did play better in the third period and Steeves had a great chance off a broken play in the third period but he was stoned by Washington goalie Gavin Bjorkland."

"New coach Marco Sturm wants to up the shot volume this year and that mentality led to the B's first goal. Charlie McAvoy, playing in his first game since having his season ended with the shoulder injury/infection at the 4 Nations Faceoff last February, fired a quick shot that was blocked out in front. But Morgan Geekie circled into the left side of the slot and beat Logan Thompson on a turnaround one-timer."

The Bruins opened preseason with a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals despite eye-catching retro uniforms. The matchup featured fewer projected NHLers on the Capitals’ roster, yet Boston produced limited positives. Young players seeking roster spots failed to make significant impressions, with the Matej Blumel–Matt Poitras–Alex Steeves line finishing minus-3. Fraser Minten and Fabian Lysell showed some promise alongside Tanner Jeannot but did not score. The best-performing line was Jeffrey Viel, Patrick Brown and Riley Duran, likely destined for Providence. Goalie Michael DiPietro allowed five goals on 21 shots. Charlie McAvoy assisted Morgan Geekie’s turnaround one-timer for Boston’s first goal.

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