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The Boston Bruins wrapped up their exhibition schedule on Friday night, falling to the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime at Capital One Arena. Head coach Marco Sturm iced a lineup that could closely resemble the one Boston will deploy in its season opener on Tuesday at TD Garden.
After a sluggish beginning, the Bruins' top players dragged the team back into contention. Third-period tallies from Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak erased a deficit and pushed the game to overtime, but Jordan Kyrou needed just 11 seconds of the extra session to secure the win for Washington. Jeremy Swayman started in goal and turned aside 32 of the 35 shots he faced.
Roster Decisions Still Loom
While the Bruins' core group—Swayman, Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, and Geekie—did enough to salvage a point (in a regular-season context), the game provided little clarity for players on the bubble. Boston followed a familiar script: rely on Swayman to keep the team afloat, then lean on the star forwards to generate offense. Known commodities like Swayman and Pastrnak are locked in, and newcomer JJ Peterka has lived up to his billing as a speedy playmaker, notably setting up Pastrnak's power-play goal with the primary assist.
However, with roster cuts approaching, Friday's contest did not significantly alter the fortunes of several players fighting for spots, nor did it resolve the logjam Sturm and his staff must address. "We have a lot of bodies," Sturm said Friday morning at Warrior Ice Arena. "Today and tomorrow, there will be some movement, some decisions that have to be made. But it's a good thing; it's healthy. Hopefully it helps the players, too. Somebody will be not happy, but I think this is the time to kind of learn about yourself. Do I push a little extra or do I just give up? Those are the moments now when we have a bigger camp, a lot of players around—we want to see that extra push out of them."
As the roster crunch intensifies, questions remain about which forwards will claim the spare spots, especially with Matt Poitras sidelined by a lower-body injury. On defense, Henri Jokiharju appears to be the odd man out and could join Jordan Harris on waivers in the coming days. Boston's makeshift pairings (without Charlie McAvoy) remain a work in progress. Connor Clifton has been inconsistent alongside Nikita Zadorov, while Jonathan Aspirot and Hampus Lindholm have taken ill-timed penalties. Aspirot, a second-year pro, struggled for much of the game but found his footing in the third period, outmuscling Cole Hutson on a rush and playing the simple, hard-nosed style that made him a pleasant surprise last season. Mason Lohrei, returning after an injury earlier in the week, was steady and appears to be the favorite for the third pairing, though it's unclear whether he'll skate with Aspirot or Frederic Brunet, who sat out Friday.
While drastic roster moves may not be imminent, it's almost certain that the forward lines and defensive pairs Sturm deploys Tuesday against the Rangers will be tweaked and reshuffled over the coming weeks as the roster remains in flux.
Special Teams Show Mixed Results
Pastrnak's blistering shot allowed Boston to convert on one of its three power-play opportunities. Zacha (net front) and Peterka (right elbow) did well to move the puck and find lanes against Washington's penalty kill. Getting Pastrnak to unleash his one-timer more frequently would be a boon for the Bruins, but that becomes a viable option only if other shooting threats like Peterka and Geekie at the bumper continue to test goaltenders. There shouldn't be too much concern over Boston's man advantage, especially with Steve Spott running it and the addition of a gifted forward like Peterka.
However, the penalty kill struggled, with Washington scoring all three of its goals on the power play. Sean Kuraly has had an unimpressive preseason, and there's a case that his role as fourth-line center should be challenged by Poitras or Dans Locmelis. His shorthanded contributions were missed Friday, as the Capitals generated nine high-danger scoring chances in 4:50 of 5-on-4 time against Boston. New assistant coach Matt McIlvane, who now oversees the PK, has his work cut out for him: the Bruins ranked 28th in the league with a 75.7 percent success rate in 2025-26. That must improve for a team that has historically prided itself on defensive stinginess.
Zacha Poised for a Big Payday
Entering the season, there was skepticism about whether Boston's second line, anchored by Pavel Zacha, could remain one of the league's best forward trios. The free-agent departure of Viktor Arvidsson, who drove that line, loomed large, and questions persisted about whether Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt's strong 2025-26 campaigns were sustainable. After all, the Bruins outscored opponents 48-29 in Zacha and Mittelstadt's 701 minutes of 5-on-5 play together last year. That lopsided differential may not be repeatable, but the chemistry between Zacha and Mittelstadt has clearly carried over into the fall.
The line of Zacha, Mittelstadt, and Geekie was Boston's most consistent forward group on Wednesday, holding a 10-2 edge in scoring chances during 11:07 of 5-on-5 ice time. Geekie may have beaten Logan Thompson just 3:40 into the third period, but Zacha did the heavy lifting with strong puck protection down low and a slick feed into a high-danger area. Zacha also recorded the secondary assist on Pastrnak's power-play goal and won 10 of 17 faceoffs (58.8 percent). It's only the preseason, but Zacha looks very much like the player who emerged as a legitimate second-line center last season—which could make his next contract intriguing. It's unclear whether the Bruins are willing to pay that price or if they'd consider moving him to avoid the looming deal and potentially acquire another impact player (say, Kirill Marchenko?).
Youth Report
Friday was the final chance for several youngsters to stake a claim for an NHL roster spot, notably James Hagens and Dans Locmelis. Both faced a tall task, especially after skating in Thursday's preseason loss to the Flyers. Hagens didn't hurt his stock, registering two shots on goal in 13:55 of ice time. Like the rest of Boston's forward group, Hagens and his linemates struggled to string together solid shifts in the first 40 minutes but generated a few quality looks in the third period. It would be a major surprise if Boston doesn't roll out a third line of Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov on Tuesday against the Rangers.
Locmelis had a quieter night on a line with Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic, but his refined two-way game and pace are evident. If Poitras is destined for injured reserve to start the year, Locmelis could be a short-term stopgap if Sturm wants to keep a young center on the roster behind Kuraly on the depth chart. But if Poitras is ready before Tuesday, Boston will likely send Locmelis (who is waivers-exempt) to Providence to log top-line minutes and recall him when injuries arise.
Originally reported by boston.