How Jim Montgomery Assessed Bruins’ New Backup Goalie Vs. Flyers

It was imperative for the Bruins and Brandon Bussi for the 26-year-old to look sharp in between the pipes Tuesday night at TD Garden.

Fortunately for the rookie goaltender, he did exactly that.

To be fair, Bussi didn’t face much pressure in Boston’s preseason clash with Philadelphia. The 6-foot-5 netminder only faced 14 shots all night, but he stopped 13 in the Black and Gold’s 4-1 triumph. One of those saves was at the end of an Anthony Richard breakaway, which saw Bussi deny the steamrolling forward while the contest was deadlocked at 1-1 early in the third period.

Bussi, who rebounded from a sloppy performance in New York last Thursday, drew a positive review from his head coach.

“I thought Bussi was really good tonight,” Jim Montgomery told reporters, per MassLive. “That was a good lineup we played tonight. I thought he read the plays well. I thought he was moving well. I thought he was aggressive.”

Bussi has yet to appear in an NHL regular-season game, but his debut could be made in short order. Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation remained unresolved as of Wednesday morning, which means Joonas Korpisalo and Bussi are set to open the campaign as Boston’s goaltending duo.

The Bruins have two preseason games left before they open their 2024-25 slate next Tuesday in Florida.