The Bruins will get some much-needed reinforcement back on defense Thursday night in Matt Grzelcyk.
Grzelcyk will make his 2022-23 season debut for Boston when it welcomes the Anaheim Ducks to town. Grzelcyk underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason and was ahead of schedule throughout his recovery.
"I feel ready to go," Grzelcyk told reporters after Thursday's practice at Warrior Ice Arena. "I think (Jim Montgomery's system) is pretty friendly to how I want to play. I'm going to take it a period at a time and go from there, but it's just getting used to some of the new terminology when we go over video, and just make sure that it's second nature."
Grzelcyk should have some more offensive freedom under Montgomery, much like we saw from Mike Reilly throughout the preseason.
The Bruins defense hasn't been bad through the first four games of the season, but they flamed out in their 7-5 loss to the Ottawa Senators earlier this week. Anton Stralman, who remains in Canada while he deals with visa issues, struggled in his Bruins debut while the other five blueliners at times looked lost, gave the puck away and were often beaten on rushes.
Grzelcyk certainly will be a welcome addition to the team as it looks to get back in the win column when the puck drops at TD Garden at 7 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action beginning at 6 p.m. ET on NESN.
