Cassidy on Bruins lineup vs. Flyers: 'Closest to what it's going to look like'

It’s to a point in the preseason where Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy is no longer evaluating individual performances. With less than a week until the regular season begins against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 5 at TD Garden, the focus has turned to the team’s overall systems play.



Sure, players are always being evaluated, but it’s time to concentrate on the big picture. The coach will focus on lines and defensive pairings. Cassidy has tweaked the team’s play through the neutral zone in order to avoid more odd-man rushes. It’ll be those types of scenarios he’ll be evaluating in the final two preseason games against the Flyers and the Blackhawks.

Prior to Thursday’s game against the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Cassidy described Boston’s roster as the team’s strongest lineup to date during the preseason.

“Probably the closest to what it’s going to look like,” Cassidy said.

The coach admitted there are still four to five players fighting for a roster spot that the team will keep an eye on before the final decisions are made.

Here’s what it looked like against the Flyers:

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Anders Bjork

Jake DeBrusk-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

Frank Vatrano-Sean Kuraly-David Backes

Kenny Agostino- Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson-Danton Heinen

Defense

Rob O’Gara-Brandon Carlo

Paul Postma-Adam McQuaid

Kevan Miller-Charlie McAvoy

Goalies

Tuukka Rask

Malcolm Subban

The Bruins will face the Blackhawks in the preseason finale on Saturday in Chicago. Cassidy & Co. still have some tough decisions to make prior to the start of the regular season, but the lineup will be almost identical to opening night.

Captain Zdeno Chara has been sick, so that’s why he didn’t make the trip to Philly. He did participate in the team’s skills practice Thursday morning and said afterward he felt better, so it’s likely he’ll be in the lineup against the Blackhawks.

Since Torey Krug remains sidelined with a facial fracture, it’s unlikely he’ll be ready to return for Oct. 5. However, he is a hockey player and it wouldn’t be out of the question if he returned in time. He hasn’t skated since the injury but he has been working out.

With Krug out, O’Gara and Postma (I’ll have a story on him Friday) will be given an extended look. Once Krug returns, it’s likely O’Gara will return to Providence in order to play. Postma would be the team’s seventh defenseman and a healthy scratch to start the season.

Matt Grzelcyk, who remains with the parent club, will probably play against the Blackhawks.

Offensively, the top two lines are set to start the season. There are so many different scenarios for the bottom six that it could depend on matchups and which players have the ability to kill penalties. Cassidy likes that third line of Matt Beleskey, Kuraly and Backes. It’s a big, heavy, physical line that can do some damage on a sustained forecheck.

Here are the projected line combinations and defensive pairings against the Blackhawks:

Forwards

Marchand-Bergeron-Bjork

DeBrusk-Krejci-Pastrnak

Matt Beleskey-Kuraly-Backes

Tim Schaller-Riley Nash-Noel Acciari

Defense

Chara-Carlo

Grzelcyk-McQuaid

Miller-McAvoy

Goalies

Rask

Anton Khudobin

That means Frank Vatrano could be the healthy scratch, while Heinen and JFK are sent to Providence before the regular season begins.

Here’s the projected lineup I posted prior to training camp:

Forwards

Vatrano-Krejci-Pastrnak

Marchand-Bergeron-Bjork/Heinen

Beleskey-Backes-JFK

Schaller-Nash-Acciari

Defense

Chara- Carlo

Krug- McAvoy

Miller- McQuaid

Goalies

Rask

Khudobin