Bruins say D Zdeno Chara will skip opening night

It’s too soon to tell with any semblance of confidence what lies ahead. “It’s going to be put to the test here”, Maurice said.

Game 1 should probably not be used as a barometer for what the team will be like in the next 81 games. It’s our first glimpse, our first tangible form of results we can dissect and utilize to project what’s to come.

It comes as no coincidence that the only other time before last season where the Bruins finished lower than 11th in goal scoring since Julien’s second season in Boston was 2009-10, when Marc Savard – who was Krejci’s predecessor in the role – missed 41 games with an injury-plagued campaign. “I think we can reduce the amount of games that Tuukka had to play from a year ago”. “Then we got off the plane and off the bus and started to skate, incrementally, shift by shift, better and we were a pretty darn good team after that”. After all, the Jets’ last win in Boston came … well, before they were even the Jets.

Before the first TV time out less than eight minutes in, the Bruins were already up 1-0 after David Krejci picked Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Ben Chariot’s pocket for the unassisted goal.

“I think I’m just trying to lead with my work ethic and, off the ice, just trying to help the young guys”, said Beleskey. “I was happy with all the young players’ games tonight”. Yeah actually there’s one tickle it for me with up to knock it but he was able to it to pick the puck cleanly.

Drew Stafford took advantage of poor positioning by Zach Trotman, left, and Matt Irwin (not pictured) on Winnipeg’s third goal.

“I haven’t been practicing with the team for a week”, he said.

“It’s an awesome time, not just for myself, but for them as well”, the Delta, B.C., native said Wednesday after the Jets practised in Winnipeg before boarding a flight to take on the Bruins. Boston looked shaky where it had seemed inevitable it would look shaky, with no Zdeno Chara, no Dennis Seidenberg, and certainly no Dougie Hamilton. It’ll the first meaningful hockey played at the TD Garden since Providence College skated off the ice as NCAA national champions at the expense of BU back in April. It’s incumbent upon our group to make sure we’re pulling those guys in and they feel equally as important on and off the ice. “It’s definitely something we want to have and, if we do, we’re going to be a closer and better team”. Bruins fans should learn to understand that, while he’s still talented, he’s not the same player.

A healthy David Krejci will go a long way toward stabilizing the Bruins’ offense.

Krug has a few feistiness to his own game, which was also on display later in the Washington game as he does not back down on D. Our favorite? “Broadway” Jimmy Hayes. Kari Lehtonen got the win over Tim Thomas. In 72 games with the Florida Panthers last season, the 6-5 right wing had 19 goals and 16 assists. It’s easy to place blame on the front office or the coaching staff or even players who could have done a better job of acclimating him to Boston. The former Bruin, Wheeler, on the rare victory in Boston: “I’ve never won here since I got traded here, so I know it’s been at least five years”. Late in the period Alex Burmistrov caught Patrice Bergeron in the head with his elbow and was assessed a two minute minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. When you add in forwards cheating to the offensive side of the puck and a couple bad line changes, you get a total disaster.

Tough road ahead for Boston. The Bruins face the Canadiens at the Garden on Saturday, followed by a matinee against the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning on Monday.