It’s been several long months, but the Boston Bruins finally return to the ice in regular season play on Tuesday evening, and they’ll do so in style at TD Garden against the visiting Original 6 rival New York Rangers.
The game will feature the return of former Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who is now Igor Shesterkin’s backup after being dealt to New York over the summer.
Speaking of goaltenders, it wasn’t too difficult a decision for Bruins head coach Marco Sturm on who to tap as his starter to begin the regular season.
The Boston Bruins Will Start Jeremy Swayman In Their Season Opener Against The Visiting Rangers
As confirmed by Bruins insider Jack Studley, the Bruins are starting Jeremy Swayman in their regular season opener against the Rangers.
Last season, Swayman put together a record of 31-18-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, along with two shutouts, and was also named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender.
Marco Sturm Gave A Shoutout To Joonas Korpisalo
The Bruins acquired Korpisalo from the Ottawa Senators as part of the blockbuster Linus Ullmark trade in the summer of 2024.
He spent two seasons with the Bruins as backup to Swayman before being traded in the offseason once again, this time to the Rangers.
Sturm was sure to give Korpisalo a shoutout prior to Tuesday’s opener, calling him easy to work with and “a good guy”.
“He’s one of the easiest guys I ever worked with because he’s such a good guy. He’s quiet. You know, not too many bad days in his life, so it’s a good thing. He came in and whenever his name was up on the board, he showed up,” Sturm said via Jack Studley on X.
“What I didn’t know at first, because he was that quiet, how popular he was in the room. I give him a lot of credit by not just being a good backup, but also being a good teammate.”
Last season with the Bruins, Korpisalo went 14-9-6 with a 3.15 goals-against average, a .894 save percentage, and one shutout.
Bruins Announce Key Lineup Decision For Regular Season Opener