BOSTON –– Casey Mittelstadt broke out of the zone with Matt Poitras and Tanner Jeannot on either side of him.
The forward was testing chemistry with his new linemates during Thursday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. The trio was part of Group A, which featured the Boston Bruins’ regular NHL talent, along with a few names still vying for a stable roster spot.
Mittelstadt, who was traded to Boston in March, had never played with Jeannot nor Poitras. The veteran Jeannot signed his five-year deal with the Bruins in July and adds size and an edge to the line, while Poitras brings youthful energy and speed on the other side.
“I think we complement each other well,” Mittelstadt said.
Head coach Marco Sturm has been experimenting with different combinations through the first week of camp and has emphasized that nothing is final until opening night.
“Yes, we split it into two groups, but every day there might be some changes going back and forth. It’s not really set,” Sturm said. “We try to keep everyone honest and try to get everyone involved as much as we can. I was just happy to work with the main NHL guys today and have the other group with [Providence head coach Ryan] Mougenel and his group.”
One of the adjustments Sturm made on Thursday was moving Poitras from center to the wing. The 21-year-old started camp at the pivot position, but was told to be ready to slide over if needed. The hope is that Poitras can benefit from and help amplify Mittelstadt’s playmaking ability.
“With Mittelstadt, the ability to move pucks and find guys – I thought it would be maybe a good pair to move forward,” Sturm said. “Somebody on [Mittelstadt’s] side needs to have speed. Casey, he will find you. He’s that good on the puck and that smart. He will find you. But he needs guys to push him along and push him forward.”
With two preseason games completed, the Bruins are starting to become more familiar with the new systems Sturm has implemented. For centers like Mittelstadt, there has been a learning curve around the responsibilities in the defensive end, and when to jump into the play.
“To be honest, I really like what we’re trying to do. It is just a little different than what I’ve played in terms of a little bit more man-on-man versus what we were doing last year in the D-zone,” Mittelstadt said. “Kind of trying to figure out when to be passive and when to be aggressive, I think, is probably the No. 1 thing we’re going to figure out who we are as a team. I think it fits the way we want to play and the guys we have very well. I think it’s exciting.”
