Lysell shines and 3 insights from the Bruins' preseason win against the Caps

It was the long-awaited result from Lysell, who also won the penalty that led to his team's fruitful power play opportunity, charging toward the goal only to be brought down by Washington defenseman Hardy Haman Aktell.

“We're really pleased with his development from game one to game two,” Montgomery said of Lysell's play. “And how determined he was with the puck, how determined he was to get shots on goal, how he played offensively and stepped back defensively. Good game for him.”

Although Lysell's skating talent and creativity in the Ozone Zone are well documented, he had a tendency to lose the puck in previous preseason games and let the finer points of his game slip.

But there was a marked improvement for Lysell on Tuesday, using his speed to win races and chase down loose pucks that whizzed across the Class A ice.

At 6'1″, Lysell isn't a huge burden when forechecking, but he can use his agility to his advantage far better than just sliding past other players and making risky forays across the blue line.

“It's a lot of fun,” Lysell said of battling for a spot on the roster. “I think you guys feel the same way. Maybe I felt a little more pressure before. So I think it definitely helps to approach it with a little bit of a different mindset – just playing your game.”

With five preseason games left, Lysell still has a long way to go before he can officially secure a spot on Boston's roster. But Tuesday was a step in the right direction for the talented young player. Now he needs to build on that and keep going.

Georgii Merkulov also bangs

Not to be outdone, Georgii Merkulov, another of the Bruins' most promising young forwards, put in a solid performance on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old forward provided a great assist for Justin Brazeau's goal in the third period, setting up his linemate with a deft backhand pass after carrying the puck through the neutral zone.

“I've played with Braz for two years now, so I know exactly what he's going to do and he probably knows exactly what I'm going to do,” Merkulov noted.

Merkulov now has two assists in two preseason games with Boston this fall, although his overall performance on Sunday against New York was still relatively modest.

The former Ohio State player was more confident Tuesday as he focused on fellow NHL prospects Tyler Johnson and Justin Brazeau, with Montgomery praising his training habits and details during camp sessions so far.

The challenge for Merkulov, in Montgomery's eyes, is to translate these details into games.

“If you train well, you'll play well,” said Merkulov. “If you train lazily and don't give your all, you won't achieve anything in the game.”

While other young players like Lysell and Matt Poitras among Boston's next wave of talent are likely to grab most of the headlines during training camp, Merkulov could be just as ready to make a push as Lysell, especially after scoring 120 points in his last 134 games with Providence.

Don't write him off when it comes to Boston's vacancy at the third-string center position.

Solid start for Joonas Korpisalo

While he wasn't exactly bombarded with pucks, Korpisalo was very strong in his debut for Boston, saving all seven pucks that came his way.

Korpisalo fended off two highly dangerous scoring opportunities, regularly standing perpendicular to the puck and at the same time blocking the post.

“I thought Korpisalo was really good,” Montgomery said. “He made four, what I thought were, difficult saves look really easy, and you can just tell he's composed. He's great in goal. I think Washington had a lot of chances where they missed because he took away the angle. So shooters try to be perfect, they miss. That's a little thing that good goalies do.”

While it may have been a small sample size, given his struggles last season in Ottawa and the possibility of the Bruins calling on him for their season opener in two weeks, getting Korpisalo on their roster and getting him to feel good about his game has to be Boston's top priority.

“I think it's important,” Montgomery said of the significance of Korpisalo's strong start. “First time out, no matter what last season was like, you want to get off to a good start. You just want to build on that. He's a pretty confident young man.”

“I think he knows how good he is and he was so successful in Columbus and can't forget what he did in LA when he came to LA at the trade deadline (in 2023).”

Loose Pucks

Despite being moved to the wing, Matt Poitras was composed and skilled with the puck while skating in a line with Trent Frederic and Brett Harrison. Even though Boston views Poitras as a long-term pivot, moving him to the wing for now could allow him to simplify his game while also developing his playmaking skills further down the field.

If the Bruins want to start a youth movement, Poitras could be a compelling option as a pass-first option in a lineup with Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand.

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It was a solid preseason debut for 34-year-old veteran Tyler Johnson, currently in training camp on a PTO contract. While he can still skate well at this stage of his career, it was his details that stood out Tuesday. The forward shielded Shepard from Lysell's goal while also passing the puck to Merkulov that led to Brazeau's goal.

As long as the money is right, it would not be a surprise if Johnson remains as a Swiss Army knife in Boston's offensive corps.

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It should come as no surprise that Brazeau's goal came from right in front of the net, but the tall winger also played 1:43 of a shorthanded game in Tuesday's win. Brazeau is not known as a penalty kill specialist, but taking on that responsibility could increase his chances of making the team after training camp.

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He benefited from Shepard shooting the tumbling puck into his own net, but it was good for the 6-foot-6 Tufte, who went to the goal in the first period and was rewarded with his goal at 11:51. Aside from his goal in the second period, Patrick Brown's line (featuring Joey Abate and Marc McLaughlin) played simple, straightforward hockey all night.