Bruins newest faces making immediate impact
Over the offseason, the Boston Bruins were busy adding to their roster. The new faces include Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadarov, Mark Kastelic, and Cole Koepke. In the Bruins first win of the season, they all made an impact following a disappointing season-opening loss to the Florida Panthers.
With the Bruins arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, in town on Thursday, the offense came alive, scoring six goals on 29 shots. They were led by Lindholm who found the back of the net once and dished out two assists. In his first game at TD Garden as a Bruin the talented 29-year-old set the tone offensively.
While Lindholm is expected to be a key piece in the top six, the Bruins got an unexpected scoring outburst from Mark Kastelic. The former fifth-round pick, who only scored five goals for the Ottawa Senators last season, found the back of the net twice. The Bruins fourth line frustrated the Canadiens all night long with Kastelic at the center of their success.
Joining Lindholm and Kastelic in the scoring barrage was Koepke. The former Lightning scored one goal and recorded one assist. The Bruins signed Kopek to a one-year, two-way contract in July, and so far, he is making the most of his opportunity. Following a strong preseason, the tenacious forward is carving out a role on the fourth line.
Although Zadarov did not score a goal, he did dish out two assists and delivered a crushing hit on Kirby Dach in the third period. One of the reasons the Bruins signed Zadarov to a six-year contract over the summer was his physical style of play. That was displayed when the Bruins needed a bounce-back effort.
On Thursday night, the Bruins showed just how good they can be. This offseason, the focus was on getting bigger and improving the top six forward group. If the Bruins are to make a deep postseason run, they will need to play like they did against the Canadiens, with Lindholm and Zadarov leading the way.
