'Bubble’ players shine as Halak, Bruins shut down Devils: 3 things we learned

The Bruins improved to 3-0-2 so far this preseason with a 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. Jack Studnicka and David Backes scored the goals for Boston, while Jaroslav Halak posted a shutout in net with a 29-save performance. 

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s victory: 

Backes, Bjork make strong case for sticking around 

While the likes of Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo were patrolling the blue line for Wednesday’s matchup, Boston’s forward corps were a bit more … subdued. 

With a heavy dose of AHL talent sprinkled across all four lines, it seemed unlikely that any forward trio was going to be in a position to make a major impression with training-camp cuts on the horizon. 

One line — featuring two “bubble” players and another forward with an unspecified role — clearly begged to differ. 



A hodgepodge of a line with speed, skill and snarl in Anders Bjork, David Backes and Par Lindholm put together a dominant effort on Wednesday that went far beyond the tally that Backes scored at 1:22 in the third period. New Jersey simply did not have an answer when that trio was deployed on the ice, with Boston holding a commanding 10-2 edge in shots on goal and a 17-8 edge in shot attempts during the 13:22 of TOI that the line was utilized. That production is even more impressive considering that the line only took three faceoffs in the offensive zone all night.

While Backes played a key role in Boston's stranglehold in terms of puck possession by bringing the biscuit down low and winning battles along the boards, the speedy Bjork helped the B's escape the Devils' forecheck and push the puck back into the O-zone on rush after rush. Lindholm, who was a productive scorer during his time overseas in Sweden, has also showed plenty of tantalizing potential when given space to work with. Bruce Cassidy has compared him at times to Riley Nash — with the former standing as bottom-six skater that could have some untapped offensive tools if given a chance to play with more skilled wingers.

While Backes and Bjork might be on the outside looking in at a starting role with this roster, they certainly made a compelling case on Wednesday night — and might make Cassidy's job much, much tougher with the regular season set to commence in just a week.

Studnicka is going to be a regular at the dentist for the next week

Jack Studnicka had a solid day at the office, as the 20-year-old pivot scored his second goal of the preseason by redirecting a shot from Paul Carey past Mackenzie Blackwood at 13:26 in the opening stanza. 

Of course, Studnicka probably wishes he lit the lamp in a less painful fashion, as Carey’s shot ricocheted off his face and into the Devils’ net to put Boston on the board. Studnicka, who already has a mouth full of shattered and missing chiclets, quickly headed down the tunnel for some repairs. 

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It’s was a bit of bad luck for Studnicka, who could put himself in a position to crack the NHL roster given the uncertainty surrounding David Krejci and the lower-body injury that has sidelined him since Monday’s preseason bout. 

However, Studnicka did eventually return to the contest midway through the second period, as the center eventually finished the game with 8:21 of ice time. 

The Bruins have rung up quite the bill at the dentist’s office this month, as fellow forward Cameron Hughes lost three teeth and needed 30 stitches after taking a skate to the mouth during the Prospects Challenge up in Buffalo. 

Studnicka won’t be feeling too great for the next couple of days, but thankfully he shouldn’t have to miss much time on the ice going forward. 

"I told him, he's not the best looking guy in the league anyway," Bruce Cassidy joked.

Halak looks locked in

He only appeared in five total periods of play this preseason, but the Bruins have to be thrilled with what they've seen from Jaroslav Halak so far this fall. Coming off of a strong season as Tuukka Rask's backup, Halak already looks dialed in for his second campaign with the Bruins, with the 34-year-old netminder stopping 45 of the 46 shots that have come his way so far this year.

"Outstanding," Cassidy said of Halak's effort. "Thought he was crisp. Played the puck well. ... I didn't see much in his game that looked off. To me, the rebound control was excellant. He was square. It looks like he's ready to go."

HIGHLIGHT

While Backes and Bjork really helped their cases on Wednesday, Jeremy Lauzon was also impressive on the blue line, recording 20:03 TOI in the victory while skating on a D pairing with Steven Kampfer.  The 22-year-old defenseman is still a work in progress in the O-zone, but he’s continuing to develop into a sound defensive presence that is more than willing to throw his weight around. Or drop the gloves, as Nathan Bastian can attest to.

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LOWLIGHT

Halak was brilliant in net all night long, no doubt. But what was this? Sheesh.

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LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out the preseason with a matinee matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, with puck drop slated for 3 p.m. Patrice Bergeron is expected to make his preseason debut in the matchup, while Tuukka Rask is also slated to start in net.