The Bruins didn’t waste much time showing they can still claw their way out of trouble, even in the preseason.
Boston opened its schedule Sunday night at TD Garden with a 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals, rallying from two separate deficits before Charlie McAvoy tied it late in the third period. After overtime settled nothing, James Hagens delivered the only goal of the shootout to finish off the comeback.
That was the headline, but the night also gave Boston a few early clues about where things stand as the roster evaluation begins in earnest.
Hagens wasted no time making an impression in his first preseason game with the Bruins. The 2025 No. 7 overall pick scored the lone shootout goal after Washington failed on all of its chances and Lukas Reichel missed Boston’s other attempt. A shootout winner in September won’t define anything, but it was still a clean first step for one of the most closely watched young players in the organization.
Boston also got a useful night from its power play, even if the unit was far from perfect. The Bruins had two man-advantage chances in the first period and came up empty both times, but they finally cashed in in the second when Jake Schmaltz tied the game at 1 with a power-play goal at 15:31.
Riley Duran found him open in the slot for the finish. Boston ended up 1-for-6 on the power play, a mixed result that still offered some early encouragement.
Then there was McAvoy, who provided the biggest swing of regulation. Trailing 2-1 late in the third, the Bruins defenseman ripped a one-timer at 18:16 to force overtime.
Matt Poitras won the faceoff that helped set the play in motion, and Fraser Minten controlled the puck before setting up McAvoy for the equalizer. Boston then survived a long stretch of penalty trouble in overtime before the game moved to the shootout.
It was a reminder of how valuable the established core can be while the Bruins sort through their younger talent in the preseason.
Boston’s next exhibition comes Sept. 22 against the Flyers at home, before road games against the Flyers and Capitals. The regular season opens with the Bruins hosting the Rangers on Sept. 29.
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