Recap: Bruins Shut Down Rangers 4-1 in Final Preseason Test as Laba Nets Lone Goal

The New York Rangers were in Boston today for their final preseason tune-up before the regular season begins. The team was playing most of their expected starting roster sans Artemi Panarin, but after the recent set of cuts, the team had one big question mark left: What will become of Noah Laba?

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First Period

The Bruins would be the only team to get on the scoreboard in the first period but both teams had players penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct to then only settle their beef by fighting after getting out of the box two minutes later. Matt Rempe and Mark Kastelic were primed to butt heads and fists and they didn't let the TD Garden crowd down.

The Bruins outplayed the Rangers in the first, slimly outshooting them 7-5, but by the time of the buzzer, they had secured a 2-0 lead. The first came off a broken breakout from the Rangers with the Bruins maintaining possession deep in the Blueshirts zone. Minten hit Zadorov with a crisp pass and he one-time wristed it past Shesterkin.

The Bruins' second goal of the game involved some bad luck as Soucy tried to wrap the puck around the net to start the breakout, but it deflected off the referee's skate. The puck carreened and Borgen couldn't handle the bounce, Mittelstadt hit a wide open Zacha in front who had no problem beating Shesterkin.For what it's worth, Soucy was sending the puck behind the net into Bruins coverage, so even without the unlucky bounce, there was a good chance the Bruins would have emerged with the puck.

Second Period

The Rangers seemed flat footed coming into the second, but would end up controlling the majority of the period with consecutive power plays yet it was the Bruins that would strike and extend their lead going into the third.

Stop me here if this sounds familiar, a penalty is committed against Matt Rempe but he also goes off the ice for the crime of being large. This is what happened when he got hooked and entangled with Peeke and brought down into Swayman. The game would only be played 4on4 for about a minute.

Pastrnak, tripped Adam Fox and ended up giving the Rangers a little more than a minute with a 4-0n3 power play. This is the most dangerous the team has looked so far in the game. They were a little guilty of over passing, but the puck movement was there and although they failed to take advantage of the power play both units led by a Zibanejad and Trocheck squad and another that featured Berard and Rempe had some good looks.

Until the very end, the period was rather uneventful regarding the scoreboard, but both teams were in and out of the box with Soucy and Eyssimont briefly going at it after Soucy delivered a big questionable hit on Minten. The Rangers wasted the power play that ensued but came closest when Zibanejad rang a shot off the crossbar.

After killing off the power play, the Bruins began to show some life. They were holding onto the puck going into the Rangers zone but the Rangers held it together in large part due to Lafrenière's great backchecking when he dove to break up a dangerous play in the making right in front of Shesterkin.

As the period wound down, Sean Kuraly was held by Borgen on the boards giving the Bruins their first power play of the period. They wasted no time, winning the faceoff and Pastrnak eventually slickly slid the the puck over to McAvoy. He shot the puck at the net with the intention of Lindholm deflecting it which he did right over Shesterkin's glove. The Bruins extended their lead 3-0.

Third Period

The Rangers started off with the puck attacking the Bruns net, but for at least the third time in the game a pass made into the slot from behind the net was made blindly and dismantled any momentum the Rangers had.

Shortly after, Soucy got too aggressive with Minten away from the puck in front of Shesterkin and the Bruins would be rewarded the first power play of the period. The Bruins power play was much more dangerous and they cycled the puck around the zone with multiple great looks. Pastrnak rung a shot off the post but the Rangers were able to kill off the penalty.

Despite losing and looking toothless for a lot of the game, the Rangers had a few premier scoring opportunities. Berard set up Lafreniere for an excellent deflected shot but Swayman made the save.

A minute later, the Bruins had a delayed penatly as Lohrei interfered with lafreniere when he stripped him of the puck. The Rangers held onto the puck and got it to the front of the net but Swayman stood tall. The Rangers first power play unit threw everything they had at Swayman but he turned away multiple shots and Cuylle rang one off the post. The second unit came onto the ice but wasn't able to maintain possession in the Bruins zone with the Bruins getting a chance to score shorthanded as the Rangers got caught pinching but Shesterkin made the save.

As the Rangers came the other way with the puck, Laba made a great spin pass to Raddysh who couldn't get one past Swayman. As the game was winding down, the Rangers were playing with more desperation. While the shots reflected one story as the Rangers had more than doubled the Bruins shots, for whatever reason the game never felt that close. Don't get me wrong multiple posts and scoring opportunities were strewen about during the game, but it was filled out with inconsistent play and defensive lapses. Additionally, the best player of the game, Swayman, never let the Rangers into the game.

With about four minutes left in the game, Zadorov went to the box. The Rangers won the faceoff this time and controlled the puck, Kuraly broke his stick in the faceoff putting the Bruins at an even bigger disadvantage. With the broken stick initially preventing Zibanejad from getting his own shot in the play, the team would finally break through with Fox sending the puck towards the net. Laba deflected the puck in, continuing to impress–but will it be enough to stick in the NHL? We'll be finding out soon.

With just a few minutes left in the game, the Rangers pulled Shesterkin for the extra attacker. It didn't take long for the Bruins to gain the puck, and Zadorov scored from his blueline, ruining any chances for the Rangers to make a comeback.