Erik Haula’s pace, Jack Studnicka’s promise and other takeaways from Bruins’ preseason win over Flyers

The Bruins continued their preseason slate of games with a 4-2 win over the Flyers on Thursday night at TD Garden. Brad Marchand, Craig Smith, Brandon Carlo and Jake DeBrusk all scored for the B’s — while Jeremy Swayman stopped 16 of 18 shots in the win. Here are five takeaways from the contest.

Box Score

Bruins might have something in third-line additions

I will, once again, preface any segments in which I wax poetic about what plays out on the ice during a preseason game by stating that this is … still just the preseason.

While the Bruins rolled out close to a full lineup for Thursday’s preseason matchup with the Flyers, Philly brought with them a green squad — creating plenty of mismatches that the Bruins promptly feasted on for most of the opening frame, be it at 5v5 play or on special teams. 

But given the number of new additions and moving pieces present through the B’s lineup after a busy offseason, Bruce Cassidy and his staff have breathing a little easier when they see a number of said additions regularly contributing out on the ice already. 

Finding a suitable (or perhaps serviceable is the apt term) replacement for David Krejci at the 2C spot might be the most important lineup question facing the B’s this preseason, but slotting the proper pieces into place on a third line that was largely lifeless for extended stretches last year will also be crucial when it comes to reviving Boston’s secondary-scoring output. 

And thankfully for the B’s — the three forwards that seem to be leading the pack when it comes to earning those bottom-six spots have all looked awfully good in the early stretch of camp.

In his second preseason bout of the fall, Jake DeBrusk replicated a similar stat line from the one he posted on Sunday against Washington — knocking home a net-front goal and adding another tally in a shootout as part of Boston's eventual 4-2 win over the Flyers. 

DeBrusk getting back on the scoresheet — and playing the hard-nosed style of game that allowed him to flirt with 30 goals just a few years ago — offers hope of an effective finisher at even-strength further down the lineup — but the pieces around him sure seem to be gelling in short order.

Much like DeBrusk, his fellow linemate in Erik Haula built off of a strong debut on Sunday with an impactful outing down the middle again — creating the chance for DeBrusk to drive to the net on his eventual goal by winning a puck battle along the boards. 

Earlier in the night, Haula recorded another helper on Boston’s second power-play unit — lofting up a saucer feed to Nick Foligno that generated a power-play tally for Craig Smith.

As unrealistic as it is to expect the same Haula that scored 29 goals for Vegas in 2017-18, the veteran forward sure seems like a natural fit next to a winger that plays with plenty of pace in DeBrusk — which is a departure from some of the other pivots he’s usually played with in David Krejci and Charlie Coyle. 

"He's been a good player for us,” Cassidy said of Haula. “He's around the puck a lot. He's willing to shoot, he can make some plays. He's got good pace through the middle of the ice. I think he knows where he needs to be effective and that's through the middle. He's in good spots to receive passes. He's been strong on the draws. A different pace in the middle than what we're used to — as a left stick as well. Looks like him and Jake play well together, so we try to keep that together.”

Not to be outdone, Foligno was as advertised in his first game as a Bruin — unleashing a couple of heavy checks while dishing the primary assist on Smith’s goal. “Pace” may not be the word that comes to mind when describing Foligno’s game, but his touch around the net and forechecking ability can play a key role in jumpstarting chances for straight-line players in DeBrusk and Haula. 

AGAIN, it’s just Game No. 3 of the preseason — but so far, so good for Boston’s third line. 

It’s all in the details for Jack Studnicka

Given the keys to a second line featuring plenty of firepower with Taylor Hall and Smith, Jack Studnicka faced his most high-stakes test yet in his goal of carving out a roster spot out of camp. 

Ultimately, the baseline stats were largely underwhelming for that line at 5v5 play — with Boston and Philly even in shots on goal (2-2) during the trio’s 10:00 of 5v5 ice time. However, the progression of the finer details of Studnicka’s game were apparent in Thursday’s matchup, with the 22-year-old forward earning some reps on the PK, forcing turnovers with a few timely poke checks and gaining a number of clean entries.

Now, will focusing on the little things be enough to supplant a guy like Charlie Coyle or Haula down the middle? Almost certainly not, especially out of camp. However, Cassidy stressed that Studnicka’s development into more of a 200-foot player can only help his case when it comes to proving his worth as an NHL regular. 

Perhaps that means opening the season on the wing — but a spot up on the NHL roster sure beats another trek down to Providence. 

 “I think that's the biggest challenge for any young guy,” Cassidy said of consistency. “That's why some of them get there faster than others. So tonight he had good second effort on the puck — we're asking him. .. 'Yes, we want you to make plays and finish some plays obviously.' But it's not like if, ‘Jack, if you don't, that this team is not going to be successful.’ We've got a lot of guys that can do that part of it. 

"So he needs to understand the other part of it — about contributing, helping the team win. Whether that's being a penalty killer as opposed to power play, which he's used to.  Winning key draws. ... Just being a good defensive player on that line when you've got some explosive wingers ...  “I thought he's buying into that better. We'll see how that plays out. Obviously, Charlie Coyle is in the mix, right around the corner, but the more Jack can play and do that, the better we're gonna feel about putting him on the ice in those situations.”

Hall and Smith both eventually did some damage away from 5v5 action — with Hall in particular adding primary helpers on Marchand’s power-play strike and Carlo’s 4v4 bomb — but the veteran wing also was quick to take some responsibility for the lack of production next to Studnicka during a majority of his reps.

“He was good. It was a sloppy game,” Hall said of Studnicka. “I didn't feel great, personally. I don't know how much me or Smitty helped him in the middle there. But we had some plays down in our end where we didn't get pucks out the way that we can and as cleanly as we can, but I thought he did a good job rushing the puck up the ice, getting into the middle. 

“We were really close on a few plays in zone. But he's had a really good training camp and you saw his game at MSG the other night, he was very good. He's got a bright future. He loves to carry the puck. I think his give-and-go game is gonna be a strength of his. I know there's pressure on him to be that next wave of a centermen for the Bruins, but he's got to forge his own path and be his own player and I think he's doing well with that."

A few strikes against blue line

With guys like Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk back out on the ice, the Bruins’ blue line was again active during transition play — with Grzelcyk jumpstarting the passing sequence that led to Smith’s goal with a crisp feed from the D zone. Even Carlo got in on the action with his 4v4 goal in the first period — the type of tally that I don’t think any of us had on our BINGO sheet entering the game. 

Still, it wasn’t always perfect on the back end. Some miscommunication between Boston’s two pillars on the PK in Carlo and Derek Forbort allowed Joel Farabee to find plenty of real estate down low on the power play — with the BU product snapping a puck past Swayman to give Philly an early 1-0 lead. 

During the 10:16 of 5v5 ice time that McAvoy and Forbort logged together on Boston’s top pair — Boston held a slim 4-3 edge in shots on goal with zero goals scored on either end. 

"I thought they were okay,” Cassidy said of McAvoy-Forbort. I mean — that's stuff you got to look at a little closer for the bump play,  the overs, the puck management stuff that isn't obvious. How they use each other as outlets. So I'll look at that again. But I think Derek is as advertised. He's going to try to make a good clean first pass and let Charlie be the guy following the play up the ice.”

Jakub Zboril, yet another defender currently traversing the roster bubble, also didn’t necessarily help his case on Thursday. The 24-year-old blueliner was whistled for a pair of penalties (a cross-check and a hold) and struggled at times breaking pucks out of Boston’s own zone. 

Promise on the power play 

Adding Hall as a net-front option on Boston’s top power-play unit went about as well as you’d expect — with the winger retrieving a puck and lofting it over to Marchand mid-dive to keep an O-zone possession alive and generating what was an eventual laser of a goal from No. 63. He may not be a big body, but Hall’s wheels and creativity as a passer could add another wrinkle to an already lethal unit. 

But you could also make the case that Boston’s second unit — featuring Grzelcyk, DeBrusk, Smith, Haula and Foligno was arguably more consistent, extending O-zone shifts with some puck battles and regularly wreaking havoc by planting skaters in Grade-A ice. 

Expect cuts in coming days 

With Swayman fighting off a few rebounds and stringing together another solid showing, Cassidy expects Linus Ullmark to get a full start in net Saturday against the Rangers as the two netminders trade outings between the pipes. In addition, Cassidy expects Boston to begin cutting down its camp roster in the coming days. 

“Donny and I will talk tonight,” Cassidy said of potential roster moves. “I think there's a plan in place for some of the guys, there's certainly some American League contracted guys that are still here. We're going to try to work with one main group and obviously the game in Philly will probably be our last chance to look at more of the younger guys — so Saturday's lineup will be similar to tonight's. 

"I think you'll see more of the main group in there and then Wednesday, the final game, is obviously most of the main group. So it'll be main group Saturday —  sprinkle in some veteran guys but more younger group traveling to Philly. Ullmark is scheduled to play the whole game on Saturday. See how that goes. So that's how we're looking at it. There will be cuts over the next two or three days."