BOSTON – The Bruins will be showcasing some star power on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers as the club’s top two centers, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejcimake their exhibition debuts. Pavel Zacha and Jake DeBrusk will flank Bergeron, while Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak will skate alongside Krejci, as Boston takes the ice for its third game of the preseason.
“We are looking to see a little more; we will have more vets, the Krejci and Bergeron lines will be going,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “Four veterans [defenseman] are playing so we are expecting to see a little more pace to our game, executing transition from offense to defense a lot better. I would like to see our power play just really put a lot of pressure on the other team, keep them on their heels, have some pace and execution.”
Here’s everything else you need to know about the 1 pm puck drop on NESN+ and 98.5 The Sports Hub:
Zacha Set for Debut
Zacha will get his first chance to don the Spoked-B on Saturday afternoon when he subs in for Brad Marchand as the Bruins’ top-line left wing. The 25-year-old, who was acquired via trade from the New Jersey Devils in July, said he’ll be using the exhibition contest to continue building his chemistry with Bergeron, who he says has already helped him tremendously during his transition to the Black & Gold.
“How he works hard; he talks to me a lot which is great,” Zacha said when asked what he’s learned about the Bruins captain. “He tells me where he expects me to be and what he did with Marchy so I know where to stand coming into the zone and things like that. Communication is so important, and he knows that.
“I think he complements my game, he knows what I can do a little bit and he just tries to help me out in situations…as soon as he gets the puck where to be. He’s already a skilled player so he always finds the open player and my job is just to find him there and help him into the neutral zone with my speed. I’m just excited to play [Saturday]”
Montgomery was complimentary of the Czech native’s improvement throughout training camp, while adding that some of the former first-round pick’s offensive skills have really caught his eye.
“The thing I’ve liked about his game is he’s gotten better every day in practice, which is a sign of a very good NHL player,” said Montgomery. “Because camp starts and everything is a little hectic but the cream rises to the top – and he’s rising. The thing that I didn’t know about, his vision and his hockey sense with the puck is above what I’ve seen. I didn’t see him much before to really get a sense, but he’s making a lot of plays out there.”
Video: Zacha meets with the media on Friday afternoon
Reilly Feeling Fresh
Mike Reilly said he is “feeling pretty good” after undergoing a right ankle tendon repair and removal of bone fragments on June 3. The defenseman has entered training camp near 100 percent and is expecting to be at full strength for the start of the new campaign.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good,” said Reilly. “Obviously, this summer is a little bit different than last summer with coming off a surgery. I started to ramp it up pretty good as soon as I kind of got to Boston right around Labor Day.
“I’m glad the way my foot’s kind of responding to the workload and skating every day, and being able to get in the action on Tuesday night there for the game. Feeling good – just feels like a fresh start. Kind of rejuvenated a little bit.”
Reilly said that the ailment had been hampering him for a couple of years and that he was pleased to have the surgery in the rearview.
“I’m definitely glad I did the surgery,” said Reilly. “I think I tried to go through it last year and it was some tough, tough times a little bit. But it’s all right. Everybody plays through things. It’s something I think that had to be done.
“When I played Tuesday, I didn’t worry about it really one time at all – until I took kind of one hit there in the third. But other than that, it was the first time in like two years where I kind of was playing out there and not having to think about it at all.”
The 29-year-old is likely to take on more of a workload Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk expected to miss time to start the season, a challenge that he is ready to embrace.
“Guys are going to have to step up,” said Reilly. “That’s two good players on this team; I think we all know that. And the expectation is to kind of carry the load a little bit until they get back. And obviously, those two guys, the way they skate, they’re going To be even better in the system, I think, just the way [the coaches] want to play. Excited to get those guys back, but until then we’ve got to really put a foot down and get to work here.”
Video: Reilly speaks with media on Friday at WIA
Wait, There’s More
- Linus Ullmark will make his first start of the preseason on Saturday afternoon and is expected to play the entire game.
- When asked to assess the performance of blue liner Jakub Zboril thus far, Montgomery said, “Zboril has been outstanding. He’s been one of the top five players in camp.” Montgomery added that Chris Wagner has also “been really good. As a coach I trust him because you know he’s going to check well and build momentum for the team and he does things the right way.”
- Montgomery said that defenseman Connor Carrick, who did not skate on Friday, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. “We don’t know how long,” he said. “Could be a day, could be three.”
- The B’s bench boss said that the timeline surrounding the next round of cuts has not yet been decided but could come either Sunday or Tuesday.
Video: Montgomery speaks with media on Friday at WIA
Friday’s Practice Lines
GROUP A
Forwards
Pavel Zacha – Patrice Bergeron – Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall – David Krejci – David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic – Johnny Beecher – Marc McLaughlin
Nick Foligno – Tomas Nosek – Chris Wagner
Defensemen
Jakub Zboril – Anton Stralman
Derek Forbort – Connor Clifton
Jack Ahcan – Kari Wissmann
Michael Callahan
Goalies
Linus Ullmark
Keith Kinkaid
GROUP B
Forwards
AJ Greer – Charlie Coyle – Craig Smith
Jakub Lauko – Jack Studnicka – Fabian Lysell
Oskar Steen – Joona Koppanen – Vinnie Lettieri
Defensemen
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Mike Reilly – Dan Renouf
Nick Wolff – Victor Berglund
Goalies
Jeremy Swayman
Kyle Keyser
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