Yes, the Flyers iced a largely NHL‑ready lineup while the Bruins leaned heavily on AHL personnel. But preseason isn’t about the final score — it’s about tightening the roster picture. And on this night, a few bubble players strengthened their case, while others didn’t do nearly enough to keep themselves in the mix.
Michael DiPietro isn’t really a bubble player — the backup job has been his to lose from the outset. And for the second straight game, he showed he’s more than capable of handling that responsibility. He wasn’t flawless, and there are still small adjustments to iron out, but he kept the Bruins in it and delivered a few highlight‑reel stops along the way.
He played with confidence, and Bruins fans can walk away from this one feeling a little more assured about the crease behind Jeremy Swayman.
Frederic Brunet — the only Bruin to suit up for all three games so far — didn’t have his sharpest outing, but he was still steady and continued to show he belongs in the conversation. On this night, he graded out ahead of Jonathan Aspirot, who in turn was better than Henri Jokiharju, who was better than Jordan Harris — all of them fighting for a roster spot.
If it were up to me, I’d run Brunet out there again tonight and see how he handles a back‑to‑back. Regardless, he’s done enough in my view to earn a place on the roster.
Alex Steeves simply didn’t have a good night, and his camp as a whole hasn’t been strong enough. Michael Eyssimont has clearly outplayed him, and at this point the real question becomes the status of Matthew Poitras’ injury — and which of the remaining contenders will ultimately claim the thirteenth‑forward spot.
Sean Kuraly didn’t have a strong showing, and as a veteran who’s already played twice, he’s ineligible for the preseason finale tonight. If Poitras is cleared to return, there’s a real chance we see him centering the fourth line between Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic. It would be his best opportunity yet to cement a roster spot.
Dans Locmelis put together another solid effort. But speaking as someone who’s watched him closely for four or five years, he still isn’t playing with the same pace we’ve come to expect. That’s not a concern — it’s almost certainly tied to the fact he couldn’t train the way he normally does following surgery. If the Bruins were allowed to run full physical testing in camp, I’m confident the results would reflect exactly that, and whatever they are permitted to monitor is likely telling the same story.
There’s no reason to worry about Locmelis. He’s a future NHLer. The path is straightforward: head to Providence, get back up to speed, and position himself as the first call‑up when the Bruins need help.
It was a tough night for James Hagens to truly showcase his best given the lineup around him, but the effort never wavered and his skill still surfaced in flashes. There’s no reason for concern — not with his talent, not with his trajectory.
If you didn’t know the lineup going in, you might not have realized Lukas Reichel even dressed for this one. How close he actually is to bubble‑player territory is something only Marco Sturm can answer, but Reichel certainly didn’t do anything last night to force his way into the conversation.
We should expect some cuts today, maybe even some waivers.
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