What I see after 2 Bruins preseason games: Who is up, who is down and one big question

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins have played two of their seven preseason games. Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha and Nikita Zadorov have not played yet.

This is a good way to measure how coach Jim Montgomery sees his lineup. These are the six that Montgomery doesn't have to evaluate during the game. He knows who they are and what they will do when the game counts.

On the other hand, Patrick Brown, Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov and Riley Tufte played in both preseason games. Montgomery needs to know more about this group, especially Lysell and Merkulov.

Lysell perhaps most of all.

Lysell recovers, Poitras changes, Merkulov assists

The Bruins had high hopes for Lysell, the 2021 first-round pick. He opened training camp in the second row alongside Tyler Johnson and Coyle.

The right wing hasn't blown Montgomery away. He had zero shots on goal in the preseason opener when he played with Cole Koepke and John Farinacci. For Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals, Montgomery put Lysell on the third line with Tufte and Jaxon Nelson.

“He's going to have to do a little bit more than he has done so far if he wants to make it to the Bruins,” Montgomery said before Tuesday's 4-2 win.

Lysell started slowly again. But in the second period, Lysell showed what he can do: score goals. During the power play, after positioning himself at the left circle, Lysell shot a Steiger to the outside. It was a goal for a sharpshooter.

The goal gave Lysell confidence. He seemed more committed for the rest of the game.

“We're really pleased with his development from Game 1 to Game 2,” Montgomery said. “How determined he was with the puck, how determined he was trying to get shots on goal, how he made plays offensively and stepped back defensively. Good game for him.”

Lysell still has to work hard to keep his stick strong, get pucks out and take responsibility defensively. Montgomery may have to be patient if he wants Lysell's scoring ability on the second line with Coyle and Brad Marchand.

Another option for the second row could be Matt Poitras.

The second-year pro played with Brett Harrison and Trent Frederic on the right wing on Tuesday and didn't look out of place. Poitras is at his best when he has the puck in the offensive zone and creates opportunities for his teammates.

“He did some good stuff down low,” Montgomery said. “He kept the puck really well on offense. On the power play, he was a little rusty when he wasn't there, and he was a little slow on the puck movement for my liking.”

The question is whether it's worth moving Poitras to the right wing and pushing him out of his usual position. Poitras played center between Zacha and Pastrnak in the Bruins' team practice game on September 21 in Providence. He played well.

But if the Bruins believe Poitras is best suited to the right wing, that opens up an opportunity for Merkulov at third center. Merkulov looked better against the Capitals when he played between Johnson and Justin Brazeau, setting up Brazeau with a backhand pass.

With negotiations between Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins stalled, Korpisalo and Bussi are at the top of the list, with Korpisalo first in line.

The former Ottawa Senator, acquired in exchange for Linus Ullmark, made his first preseason appearance on Tuesday, stopping all seven shots he faced before making way for Michael DiPietro midway through the second period.

“He made four really difficult saves look easy,” Montgomery said. “You can just tell he's composed. He's big in goal. Washington had a lot of chances where they missed the goal because he was out there and taking away the angles. So shooters try to be perfect and miss the goal. That's a little thing that good goalies do.”

While Korpisalo was in top form, Bussi underperformed in the season opener against the New York Rangers. Although he was screened on both goals he allowed, Bussi said he could have seen the pucks better in traffic.

Mark Kastelic and Johnny Beecher make an impression

It's possible that Kastelic and Beecher will share shifts on the fourth line. That won't be fun for the opponents.

Acquired from Korpisalo, Kastelic excels at getting deep and getting in the face of defenders. The right-shot forward is a hard hitter who enjoys physicality. Beecher isn't as aggressive as Kastelic, but his wheels allow him to get to the forecheck on time. When he's tough, Beecher is a real challenge.

Max Jones, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks, was a possible training camp mate of Kastelic and Beecher, but Jones was sidelined with an unspecified injury.

It has given freshman Riley Duran some good shifts with Kastelic and Beecher. The Woburn native is good on the forecheck, aggressive at the net and usually in good positions. A midseason promotion could be in the cards for the first-year pro.

Lindholm was the Bruins' most expensive signing of the offseason. The investment is not off to a good start.

The No. 1 center has not practiced since Sept. 18 because of an unspecified injury. He will not play in either of the two remaining preseason games this week.

Lindholm needed game time at his new club to get comfortable with Zacha and Pastrnak and to get used to the Bruins' defensive zone system. Missing that much time is not an ideal adjustment period.

(Photo by Joonas Korpisalo by Richard T. Gagnon / Getty Images)