Preseason hockey rolls on at TD Garden on Tuesday night, and the Bruins are taking a fresh look at a few key pieces as they host the Flyers at 7 p.m. It’s Boston’s second exhibition game, and this one brings a noticeably different lineup from the group that opened the preseason.
The Bruins are coming off a 3-2 comeback win over the Capitals on Sunday, a game they tied with goals from Jake Schmaltz and Charlie McAvoy before winning in a shootout. James Hagens scored the only shootout goal, and Michael DiPietro turned aside 30 shots to earn the night’s first-star honors.
Against Philadelphia, Boston will also get first looks at two summer additions in front of its own crowd. JJ Peterka and Will Borgen are set to make their TD Garden debuts in black and gold.
“I just want them to be themselves and try to adapt things we try to accomplish here as a hockey team, as a Boston Bruin. It might be different for JJ - it’s not the same game style that he played in Utah, which is different.
We play heavier, harder. But I still want him to be creative as well,” head coach Marco Sturm said.
“I am excited to see them both.”
Peterka is expected to line up on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha, a combination Sturm has kept together through training camp. Borgen is projected to skate on the second pair alongside Hampus Lindholm, another pairing that has remained steady this camp.
“I can tell already, Borgs has been dialed in. He’s been very strong.
We need good pairings,” Sturm said. “If those two click, hopefully, and some other pairs, too, I think we’re in pretty good shape.
We will see.”
The Bruins are also giving several veterans a game before the preseason shifts to the road. David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm are among the established names in the lineup Tuesday night.
Sturm said the decision was shaped by the schedule as much as anything else.
“[The preseason] is four games. The other reason is back-to-back, and the third one is that it’s back-to-back on the road.
That’s the tricky part. Every team is a little different,” Sturm said.
“For us, we feel like I don’t want to bring the older guys on the road and come back late and go to Washington at the end. That’s why we feel like we put the veterans in today.”
In Other News...
Dorchesters Kevin Hayes Is Calling Time On A Memorable Hockey Career
Kevin Hayes is stepping away from the game after a long run that took him from Dorchester to Boston College and then across the NHL. The 34-year-old forward announced his retirement from professional hockey after a brief five-game stint with AK Bars Kazan in the KHL, closing a career that included stops with multiple NHL teams and a place on the areas long list of accomplished hockey players.
Across 805 NHL games, Hayes scored 185 goals and finished with 446 points, production that reflected both his skill and his staying power in a demanding league. His retirement statement pointed to physical limitations that made it impossible to keep performing at his best, a difficult but familiar end to a career that had already given him a memorable college chapter and a substantial pro rsum. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Captain Mystery May Have Just Been Spoiled In A Bizarre Way
The Bruins are still playing coy about who will wear the captains letter next season, but the direction has been clear enough to keep the conversation going around camp. General manager Don Sweeney and coach Marco Sturm have both confirmed there will be a captain for 2026-27, even if they have not put a name to the job just yet, leaving the teams leadership picture hanging as preseason approaches.
A strange little detour on social media may have added to the intrigue. Tottenham Hotspur posted a clip showing Xavi Simons exchanging jerseys with David Pastrnak, a moment that naturally set off speculation that Pastrnak is the one set to be handed the role. The Bruins are expected to reveal the captaincy before their preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers, so the wait should not last much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins May Be Near A Tough Call On Matthew Poitras
Matthew Poitras has spent enough time around the Bruins to make his name feel like part of the conversation, but the next stretch of preseason could force a difficult reckoning. Around the league, clubs are already sorting through players who may need to pass through waivers, and Poitras has surfaced in that group as Boston weighs how much room there really is for him after his recent slide between the NHL and AHL.
For the Bruins, the issue is less about talent than fit, and that makes it a tricky call. Poitras still profiles as the kind of young player another team could circle if he becomes available, which is why this situation matters beyond camp inventory. Boston will have to decide whether to keep trying to carve out a place for him or accept that the roster may no longer have a clean path forward. [Read more 🡒]