Jack Studnicka translates hype into production, Vaakanainen feeling pressure & more takeaways from Bruins' preseason loss to Rangers

The Bruins continued their preseason slate of games with a 3-2 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Here are 4 takeaways from the contest.

Box Score

Jack Studnicka hits ground running

Unless you’ve been living under a rock as a Bruins fan, you’re well aware of Jack Studnicka’s efforts of bulking up this summer. 

It’s been a familiar storyline through the early stages of the preseason, falling in line with the dangerous game of setting lofty expectations for players just because they’re in the “best shape of their life”. *Groan*

Of course, Studnicka putting about 15 pounds on his frame is good for his development, given that his efforts of carrying the puck into Grade-A ice last season were often negated by his 171-pound frame getting knocked around by bigger competition.

But as we noted in our piece detailing Studnicka’s sturdier profile this preseason, it remained to be seen if his reps in the weight room were guaranteed to translate to his reps on the ice.  

Well, so far, so good. 

Of course, I’ll toss yet another qualifier in here in terms of the perils of over-valuing preseason performances, but if Studnicka has any chance of cracking the NHL roster out of camp — he’s going to have to string together performances like the one he put forward against the Rangers on Tuesday night. 

Sandwiched in the middle of a smaller, skilled line with Jesper Froden and Fabian Lysell, Studnicka was much more assertive with the puck than we’ve previously seen in a game setting — with the pivot comfortable with operating around the opposing net in search of prime scoring chances.

Studnicka converted on one of those chances off a rush with Lysell — with the B’s 2021 first-round pick feeding Studnicka for a tally at 8:46 in the second period of action. Studnicka added to his stat line later in the frame, winning an O-zone faceoff on a sequence that led to a blast into the net from Urho Vaakanainen just seconds later. 

“I think I was able to throw my body around more," Studnicka said. "When I was going through guys’ hands, like on the backhand and such, I felt like I was getting my position (well). But it’s going to be a work in progress. It’s a little different of a game that I’m able to play now, so just trying to bring more of an edge.” 

Getting off to a quick start this preseason was going to be paramount for Studnicka — who is expected to earn quite a few looks down the middle over the next week or so while Charlie Coyle awaits clearance to get back into a preseason contest. 

Studnicka still has a daunting uphill climb when it comes to potentially bumping a pivot out of a penciled-in spot before the start of the regular season, but it sure seems like a good problem to have if Studnicka’s play over the next few games warrants such a scenario.

Urho Vaakanainen mixes good & bad on blue line

The first two preseason games for Urho Vaakanainen in 2021 were a microcosm of the young defensemen’s pro career so far: Some good, some bad and a whole lot of uncertainty regarding his ceiling as a trusted regular on an NHL D corps. 

Already on the outside looking in at a Bruins’ depth chart that already has Derek Forbort, Mike Reilly, Matt Grzelcyk, John Moore and Jakub Zboril in front of him on the left side, Vaakanainen sure didn’t do himself any favors on Sunday in Washington — drawing the ire of his coach due to a passive game against the Caps.

The start of Tuesday’s contest was more of the same frustrating lapses and flaws that have stagnated Vaakanainen’s growth in Boston's system, be it a roughing penalty at 10:37 in the first or late netfront coverage in the second that led to a Kaapo Kakko tally. 

However, the 22-year-old defenseman did improve as the game went on, especially after he rifled home a puck past Rangers goalie Tyler Wall to make it a 2-2 game during the middle frame. 

Given the amount of NHL regulars in front of him on Boston’s D corps — and the number of youngsters behind him in the pipeline set to push further up the ladder — the pressure is going to be on Vaakanainen to push with whatever preseason reps he can still snag before the end of camp. 

"I thought against Washington, he slopped pucks around a lot for a guy that's played games and has a good idea of what to expect, right? Today, he had a little more composure,” Bruce Cassidy said of Vaakanainen. “Helped his partner out a number of times to settle things down — make a tape-to-tape pass, get us out of our end. It was nice to see him score. 

"The other night in Washington a couple of his shots got blocked, those wristers and we're encouraging our D to shoot the puck hard whenever possible. ... I just thought in general his mobility to get to puck and make an outlet was better than Washington. Usually means us engaged in the game better, assertive, better gaps. That's why he has those opportunities."

Fourth line leaves a lot to be desired

In a lineup primarily comprised of AHL regulars, depth pieces and fresh-faced rookies like Lysell, the Bruins did roll out a full line of expected NHL contributors in Trent Frederic, Tomas Nosek and Curtis Lazar — with the trio serving as an intriguing combination on an overhauled fourth line in need of some new blood. And even though Nosek (a team-high seven shots on goal) was a bright spot in Tuesday's loss, his wingers failed to follow their center's lead. 

Despite a couple of promising O-zone shifts in which the expected responsibilities of a fourth line (namely, an assertive forecheck) led to a couple of Grade-A looks from Nosek, those productive looks unfortunately fell few and far between for the first draft of Boston's checking unit — with Frederic in particular struggling to make much of an impact against NHL competition. 

Frederic was out for all three goals against in the loss, and was also whistled for an ill-timed stick infraction that negated a Bruins power play in the third. For as much as Frederic is a fan favorite for his willingness to drop the gloves with, well, just about anyone on the ice — the 23-year-old forward is going to have to be more than a one-trick pony if he wants to stay in the lineup, especially with so many other players knocking at the door for a fourth-line spot. 

Linus Ullmark shakes off some rust 

The sequences that led to the two goals against Linus Ullmark in his Bruins' debut were more of a byproduct of some fortuitous bounces (Kakko) and some slick passes from Artemi Panarin (leading to an Anthony Bitetto tally), but it was still evident that Boston’s projected “1A” between the pipes is still going to need some time to get back up to speed. 

Much like Jeremy Swayman on Sunday evening, rebounds were an early issue for Ullmark, who wasn’t helped by a lull in action in which the veteran only faced one shot on goal over the final 13 minutes of the first period. 

Ullmark was eventually pulled from the game at the midway point of the contest – having relinquished two goals on 13 shots against and giving way to Kyle Keyser. It was far from the sharpest debut for Ullmark, but with four more preseason games left on the docket, there’s still plenty of time for Boston’s goalies to get locked in before regular-season action commences in October. 

Keyser impressed during his reps in the second half, giving up just one goal on eight shots from the Blueshirts — including a clutch stop on another Panarin breakaway chance in the third and a few saves during a 5-on-3 sequence for New York.