The newcomer from Boston is showing signs of being a fan favorite

Gordie Howe hat tricks aren't a common part of preseason training, but new Boston Bruins forward Mark Kastelic almost did it on Thursday night.

Kastelic, who the Bruins acquired from the Ottawa Senators this offseason in a trade for Linus Ullmark, scored a goal in the second period and dropped the gloves a little more than three minutes after finding the back of the net. The only thing Kasetlic missed was an assist in the 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Kastelic was a bright spot in a rather mundane performance by the Bruins, who allowed two goals in the final 1:55 of the first period and fell into a two-goal deficit.

Kastelic's fighting performance should have been well received by Jim Montgomery, as the Bruins head coach saw in the veteran forward's play exactly what he wanted from the contest.

“The main thing here is what we’re looking for is to see the playmaking of our team, which was underperforming tonight.” Montgomery told reportersper video provided by the team. “The other part is individuals making their own statements and showing emotion and physicality when things aren’t going our way to give the team momentum.”

Kastelic has certainly tried to provide the latter for the Bruins. The 25-year-old fought his way to the top of the net with 6:32 left in the second period and deflected a shot from Drew Bavaro past Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Kastelic tried to keep the momentum going as he battled Rangers defenseman Connor Mackey later in the frame. The altercation occurred after the 1.80 meter tall, 100 kilogram Kastelic, known for his aggressive style, illuminated Mackey in the corner.

This type of play and production will certainly go a long way in endearing Kastelic to Bruins fans. And it wouldn't be a surprise if he quickly becomes a fan favorite because of his persistent efforts.

Here are more notes from Thursday's Bruins-Rangers game:

– Brandon Bussi got his second appearance with the Rangers this preseason and had an inconsistent performance. He played the entire game and made 28 saves but allowed four goals. The goals weren't his alone, as one came on a 5-on-3 power play and another came on a breakaway. The 26-year-old struggled to control rebounds while fighting for a spot on the roster.

“I think they did a good job of trying to move people forward, controlling a lot of shots and redirecting them. This is due to them,” Bussi told reporters in a video provided by the team. “I think rebounding was the big thing tonight. If you clean those up a little bit, it will be a little easier for you when it comes to the net in the evening.”

– Nikita Zadorov and his massive 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame could have turned heads in his preseason debut with Boston, but it was a quiet performance from the Bruins rookie with a few hiccups. Zadorov took a cross-checking penalty in the first period to ensure New York's 5-on-3 man advantage, and later in the stanza he made a play error along the boards that led to it Brennan Othmann's breakaway goal.

– Brett Harrison is a big candidate to make the roster, but he scored the first goal for the Bruins with a patient move against Quick. Morgan Geekie recorded the assist.

– The Bruins played against a small handful of NHL regulars in the loss, as Kastelic, Zadorov, Geekie, David Pastrnak, Matthew Poitras, Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy were all on the ice. Poitras, Zacha and Pastrnak ran on the same line and each finished the race with a minus-3.

– Zacha served in a new role as assistant captain of the competition. For the forward, who is entering his 10th NHL season, it's likely just a preseason honor. Pastrnak and McAvoy also wore the embroidered “A” on their jerseys, as they did last season.

– The Bruins play their fourth preseason game against the Flyers on Saturday night in Philadelphia. Puck drop from Wells Fargo Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.