The Bruins have gotten some great shifts out of newcomer A.J. Greer in his pair of games for Boston. For that, they may have a former fan favorite to thank.
In his two preseason tilts with the Bruins, Greer has gotten into a scrap, showed a willingness to stand up for teammates and scored two goals — including the game winner in a win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The energy and effort Greer has played with is that of a player who is sure to become a fan favorite in Boston, something that makes sense given who he models his game after.
“I grew up in Montreal. There’s a lot of Bruins fans in Montreal. I watched Milan Lucic, and that’s who I want to be,” Greer said Tuesday, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson. “Scoring an OT goal in Boston? What more can you want? I like scoring goals. I like having fun. I’m not gonna apologize.”
There are some comparisons to be drawn between Greer and Lucic. Both men stand at 6-foot-3 and are known for their physicality from the wing.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery seems to like what he’s seen from Greer so far.
“A.J. Greer is a tiger,” Montgomery said postgame, per Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan. “… If we’re starting (the regular season) tomorrow, he’s playing.”
The 25-year-old will have about 15 days to secure a spot on Boston’s initial roster, with the Bruins’ season opener falling on Oct. 12 against the Washington Capitals. His goal is to play in front of the TD Garden crowd as a member of the home team, something he seems to have enjoyed.
“I think I’ve always kind of seen myself playing the type of hockey that the Bruins play,” Greer said. “… Every time I hit someone, it was like, ‘Oh, let’s go!’ Every time I was in the penalty box, you got people hollering at me, ‘Nice goal! Nice hit! Keep going!’
“I’m focused, I’m intense, I’m an intense person. But I enjoy what I do. I’m not gonna apologize, but that was definitely a sick reaction from the crowd, and I look forward to doing that again, hopefully.”
