The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers will play for a second time in six days Monday afternoon at the TD Garden. The Panthers rolled to a 6-4 win in the season opener in a game that was not really as close as the final score would indicate. We'll begin this edition of Boston Bruins News with Monday's game.
Trent Frederic talks childhood friend Matthew Tkachuk
Trent Frederic grew up with Matthew Tkachuk in the St. Louis area and know each other very well. Last Tuesday, the two got tied up at center ice after a whistle and Frederic dropped the gloves expecting Thachuk to do the same, but he didn't, resulting in a minor unsportsmanlike penalty on the Bruins forward. He was bummed out that Tkachuk didn't drop the gloves.
“If they don’t want to fight, there’s not much you can do about it,” said Frederic. “That’s kind of the bummer part of it. It makes it more frustrating in that sense. It’s business. I don’t really care. Maybe when our careers are over, we can have a reconciliation. But right now, I can’t stand him.”
Thachuk missed Florida's 5-2 loss on Saturday night to the Buffalo Sabres in Western New York with an illness. Whether or not he plays Mondat remains to be seen, but if he does, don't be surprised to see Frederic check in with his friend.
Cole Koepke enjoying early success in Boston
When the Bruins announced their opening night roster last week, one name that opened some eyes was forward Cole Koepke. So far, the sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2018 Entry Draft, has been a pleasant surprise and even though it's early, he's enjoying his time with the Black and Gold.
"It's been awesome,'' Koepke said. "I knew coming into this that Boston is huge for sports and hockey is a big deal out here and it's a team with a great history the arena, the atmosphere, and the fans are awesome."
In the first three games, the Minnesota native has a goal and two assists, recording all of them last Thursday night at the TD Garden in a win over the Montreal Candiens. He has done his job in the bottom six for head coach Jim Montgomery with grinding shifts that have changed momentum at times in each game.