Donnelly: 5 questions facing the Bruins down the stretch of training camp

We're now in the back half of training camp with three preseason games down, three to go and just nine days before opening night at TD Garden. 

The opening night roster is beginning to come into focus, but Monday's (at Philadelphia) and Tuesday's (vs. Washington) preseason games will offer one more opportunity for a stock-boosting audition. Thursday's preseason finale against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden will be a dress rehearsal for the 2023-24 season. 

“Having the back-to-back games isn't ideal, from my viewpoint, but it allows us to play everyone two out of the last three," Jim Montgomery said Sunday at Warrior. "Essentially, that will be our team [in New York]. Not exactly, because maybe we’ll have some guys play in the back-to-back games. We’re also looking at power-play units, maybe have one power-play unit get in each game ... then have two power-play units in the same game at Madison Square Garden.”

As training camp hits the stretch run and the roster continues to trim down, here are five questions facing the Bruins:

Can Matt Poitras keep making a push?

The young center has turned heads thus far in camp, especially thanks to a pair of encouraging preseason outings. He has done more than enough to keep earning runway, even with his slight build (5-11, 176).

The 19-year-old has taken his lumps against heavier competition, particularly against the Flyers on Saturday, but has hung in there and even held his own at times. He's impressed with his playmaking and hockey sense, especially in the dangerous areas of the ice, and assuming he adds the requisite muscle as his prowess at the dot and across all 200 feet catches up to speed, he has the makings of a future top-six center with the varsity. 

He must prove he can contribute against men in a heavier, faster pro game.

“He stands in there. He’s not afraid. He plays with courage. He made some good plays out there tonight, he had some good looks," assistant coach Joe Sacco said after Friday's preseason game. "And then, obviously, there’s other times where you can see that towards the end of his shift at times he runs out of gas and that’s the difference at this level — is being able to maintain that that energy, that high pace, especially at the end of your shift. Being able to manage that and make the right decisions with the puck. But overall, there’s some good things out there.”

Playing with NHL-caliber linemates will always help, but either way at 5v5, Poitras has been the best of any Bruins forward to play more than one game this preseason. 

He's out to prove he either deserves a look in the top-six or can hold his own on the fourth line. Neither of those opportunities would come as a winger, which might allow him a better chance to warm up to the pro game on the fly. The Bruins only see him as a center, feeling he couldn't match his typical pace on the wing during rookie camp. 

"I think they did that experiment [on the wing] down at the rookie camp, and everyone came back saying, 'This guy's a center,'" Montgomery said. "Centers are what we need. We're looking at that for right now, but more importantly, for the future."

Still, Montgomery believes he has gotten better as camp has gone on, which is perhaps most encouraging.  

Poitras will play in Philadelphia on Monday, and the preseason finale in New York could be his make-or-break audition for NHL work this season. If he continues to show well, he'll earn a nine-game look with the varsity before Boston must decide whether to keep him or return him to the OHL. His contract will kick in once he plays 10 games. 

Montgomery said Monday that he wants to see Poitras keep it up against the Flyers, "Just to continue what he's been doing. He's getting better every day in camp, and now we're going on the road. Usually when you're going on the road in the NHL [preseason], you get a better lineup of NHL players. Looking at Philly's lineup, that's a really good lineup they got home tonight. So we have a situation to see how he does on the road."

Can Johnny Beecher lock down the 4C spot?

From one young center to the next, Beecher had a strong start to training camp as he competes to carve out a bottom-six role with the varsity. I was high on him early on and still think his fit on the fourth line makes a lot of sense, but with the way the groups were split at Sunday's practice, separating most of the veterans from the youngsters and guys on the fringes, Beecher may still find himself on the outside looking in. 

"I think for us, there's two things with the two groups. Just to have them separated for the first time because you want to see how players respond," Montgomery said. "You want to see how the first group responds, and even more importantly, the second group. Who keeps pushing? Are they reading it like [the media] are? Do they think their plate is already set, that maybe they'll be going to Providence? 

"I want to see who digs in there. Some players did dig in. Some players looked like they were thinking about other things than competing."

His main competition is Patrick Brown and perhaps Jesper Boqvist, who were both on the fourth unit of Sunday's skate. Early on, I believed Brown hadn't done enough to earn the spot over Beecher, who set himself apart from the pack with his speed and physicality on the forecheck. His goal in the preseason opener against the Rangers was a flash of how his skating can create mismatches – after a few strides, he was in a new zip code, all alone with Jonathan Quick. Beecher showed well in Buffalo as well with more big-boy hockey, creating havoc below the dots in the offensive zone. 

While those two games served as great starting points, the Bruins wanted to see him (like others) get better as camp went on. Beecher hasn't necessarily fizzled out, but he also hasn't continued to rise above the rest the way he did early on. 

His size and physicality gives him a leg up on Boqvist for that fourth-line role, while his skating and the need for another left-handed center gives him an edge over Brown. Like Poitras, Beecher will need to continue his upward trajectory over this final week. He's not set to play Monday, so expect him in the lineup Tuesday. He must "dig in" and make the most of the opportunity in order to earn a spot in Thursday's dress de facto dress rehearsal. 

“Depending on if I get one or two more games, playing physical, playing hard,” Beecher said Sunday of what he needs to do. “Just sticking to the things I’ve been doing. I think Game 1 and Game 2, I played pretty solid, couple of little detail things to switch. But just knowing that I can make that lineup and carry that confidence in me through these last few games and see what happens.”

Who will round out the third line?

It seems all but certain that two-thirds of the third forward trio will comprise of Morgan Geekie down the middle and Trent Frederic on the right side. That leaves the third left-wing spot up for grabs.

So far in camp, for me, it's come down to Boqvist, Anthony Richard and Danton Heinen. 

Richard got some run with Geekie and Frederic against the Rangers and again in practice last week. He had a career year in the AHL (30g, 37a in 60 games) and a decent 13-game sample (3g, 2a) with the Habs last season. The 26-year-old is a speedy, skilled winger who has played with more physicality than expected as he looks to hang around. It was on display in the first game with the Rangers than it was against the Flyers on Friday, which was disappointing given his linemates – Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak – as he failed to make a huge impact. 

"As we speak right now, I've never played better since probably the last 12 months," Richard said last week. "Coming to camp, I was really confident I could make a push and show the coaching staff and the management that they made the right decision to sign me."

Boqvist's smarts, defensive details and skating have left a good mark on the Bruins as camp has progressed. He was slotted as the fourth-line center on Sunday, but to this point in his career, I feel he's a better fit on the wing, especially with shoddy faceoff results. His style could serve as a nice compliment to Geekie and Frederic. 

"He started slow, but he's gotten a lot better and really good, actually," Montgomery said. "He's making a lot of smart plays. You see his strengths coming out, which is the speed, his skill and his ability to think the game and build our team game. We've been happy with his development throughout camp."

As for Heinen, he's also met the ask of getting better as we get further into camp. Friday against the Flyers was a much better showing than a disjointed performance at the Sabres. On a line with Poitras and Brad Marchand, Heinen stood out as one of the best forwards for the B's at 5v5, adding a goal in the second period after finding open space in the slot. He almost won the game late in regulation, but was robbed on a 2-on-1. His versatility and safe all-around game help his case, as does his familiarity with Montgomery. He's the last PTO standing for the B's after Alex Chiasson was released Sunday, and he'll need to continue to his upswing if he wants to land a deal.

"I think you try to grow every year," Heinen said Friday of how his game has changed. "It sounds cliche, but you try to improve your all-around game. I think shooting more is something I've tried to do over the past few years. As you saw tonight, it doesn't always have to be perfect, just get it on net. Try to evolve your game as you go and work as hard as you can."

Will Ian Mitchell do enough to make the team?

Mitchell's skating and prowess with the puck, particularly in the offensive zone, has helped him rise above the rest of the young right shots that Boston acquired via trade this summer – Mitchell, Alec Regula and Reilly Walsh. 

In his two preseason games against the Rangers and the Sabres, Mitchell began to assert himself more and more in the coaching staff's eyes. His agility has allowed him to create chances and mismatches at the offensive blue line. 

“He’s had a good camp up to this point,” Sacco said last Thursday. “In the first game, he played well. In the second game, he got better as the game went along. I thought the second game was a better game for him, he seemed more comfortable. He’s a guy that’s good with the puck. He’s good on the offensive blue line. He’s a smart player, he makes good plays, he makes good reads. He’s a good puck-moving defenseman, he brings some skill.”

He's competing with the incumbent Jakub Zboril for the extra defense spot with an outside shot at pushing Kevin Shattenkirk for a job on the right side of the third pair. The veteran Shattenkirk has the inside track as a stable veteran, while Zboril's better all-around game gives him an edge.

Time is running out for Mitchell to prove he can provide in both ends of the ice to force the Bruins into a tough decision. 

"We’re still a team that prides ourselves on defending really well," Sacco added. "We take a lot of pride in that, so that’s an area that he’ll have to get up to speed as far as how we’re playing defensively."

What about the other youngsters?

It would seem Mason Lohrei, Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov could be headed for Providence, barring any unforeseen changes.

Lohrei has certainly shown his promise in the preseason action he's been in. The 22-year-old is patient (almost too patient at times) and clever with the puck, especially on the breakout, which has served him well in game situations. With his skating and range, he did not look out of place next to NHL-caliber partners on defense, most recently Charlie McAvoy. Still, there are gaps in his defensive game that will need to be brought up to speed, and I expect they will with some time in the American Hockey League. There's nothing wrong with that, given the lack of job openings on the Bruins' left side and Lohrei's relative inexperience. The future is bright, though.

"Obviously he’s a big kid who moves pretty well — especially laterally," Sacco said Friday. "He moves well side-to-side. He was noticeable at times at the O-zone blue line. He did some good things. And we’re continuing to work with him on his play away from the puck."

Lysell and Merkulov's skillsets with the puck, especially with speed, have come in various bursts so far throughout camp and their showings in games have been inconsistent. 

Part of that for Lysell may have been that he's still working up to speed after dealing with a concussion over the summer. With his ups and downs in the second half of last season and the injury, a successful and stable season in the AHL would do him a world of good before, ideally, another summer of trying to bulk up.

As for Merkulov, maybe we're looking at it differently if he converts a cross-creaser from Poitras on Friday or if he and Heinen connect on that 2-on-1, but thems the breaks. His inconsistency has hampered him, just as Lysell. For what the Bruins are looking for at 3C, I don't think Merkulov did enough to challenge Geekie. He'll need to continue to round himself out away from the puck in the AHL this season. I'd expect another year of lighting the lamp, too. 

Lysell will get at least one more look Monday alongside Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle, and I’d expect to see Lohrei and Merkulov get another chance on Tuesday.