The Boston Bruins wrapped up their preseason slate with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday at TD Garden, a game that felt more like a playoff skirmish than an exhibition tune-up. It was the kind of matchup where old rivalries simmered just below the surface, with hits landing heavy and tempers flaring late in the third period. Bruins forward David Pastrnak netted the game-winner on a slick deflection with under two minutes left, silencing a Rangers push that had tied things at 3-3 midway through the frame.
Indeed, Boston's defense held firm despite some sloppy turnovers early on. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman turned aside 28 shots, including a sprawling pad save on Artemi Panarin that had the crowd roaring. The Rangers, for their part, showed flashes of the speed that could trouble opponents come October—Panarin assisted on two goals, and Mika Zibanejad buried a one-timer that briefly gave New York the edge. But penalties hurt them; a hooking call on Adam Fox led directly to Boston's go-ahead tally in the second.
However, this wasn't just about the scoreline. The Bruins are still shuffling lines after a summer of quiet trades, testing chemistry with newcomers like Elias Lindholm, who picked up an assist but looked a step slow at times. New York, meanwhile, enters the regular season with questions in net after Igor Shesterkin sat this one out, leaving Louis Domingue to face 35 shots and leak three. Injuries lingered too—Rangers' top prospect Brennan Othmann missed the game with a nagging shoulder issue, while Boston's Brandon Carlo returned from a minor tweak but played cautiously.
Moreover, the intensity ramped up as the clock wound down, with a scrum after the final buzzer underscoring the bad blood between these Atlantic and Metro division foes. Both teams finished preseason with solid records—Boston at 4-2-1, Rangers at 3-3-1—but these final cuts to rosters will sting. As the real games begin on Wednesday, one wonders how these bruises might shape the early grind ahead.