After a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday night at the TD Garden, the Boston Bruins it the road for their second preseason game when they travel to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Rangers.
After a lineup that was veteran-heavy against the Caps for first-year coach Marco Sturm, they will be traveling to the Big Apple with a less veteran lineup. Here are three players to watch for the Black and Gold against the Rangers.
Joonas Korpisalo
Michael DiPietro got the first shot on Sunday against the Capitals and allowed five goals on 21 shots, including four goals in the first period. His defense did him no favors in their defensive zone turnovers and sloppy play.
Joonas Korpisalo will be traveling, and if he's going to New York, then he's playing half the game. DiPietro will also be traveling, and this will be a good audition for both, as the Rangers are an improved team and will likely roll out some of the top players in a home game.
Fraser Minten
If there has been one prospect who has really stuck out so far, it's Fraser Minten. He proved that he shouldn't have been part of the Bruins Prospect Challenge team that went to Buffalo, and he played really well against Washington. He has proven that he's NHL-ready.
Just where he slots in remains to be seen, but the fact that he's getting a second straight preseason game speaks to how he has performed so far. This could end up being the trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs that keeps on giving for years to come for the Black and Gold.
Henri Jokiharju
Acquired at the trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabres, Henri Jokiharju came over and formed a serviceable pair with Nikita Zadorov. In training camp, they have been paired together again, and now they'll play tonight in New York.
Zadorov played against Washington, and well, it didn't go as well as he would have liked after a frustrating first season in Boston last year. If the Bruins are going to be better defensively this season, they will need a Zadorov/Jokiharju pairing to be good. They get their first crack at game action Tuesday night.