Brandon Bussi came up big when called upon, Wednesday night. Backed by a gallant defensive effort from his team, the Bruins backup goalie made 13 saves en route to the 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, in exhibition action at TD Garden.
“I felt really good,” said Bussi, 25. “I think defensively our team played outstanding. It made my night pretty easy for me.”
Although it was a preseason game, both clubs sported mostly NHL-ready lineups, giving Bussi plenty of opportunity to prove himself. The lefthanded goalie didn’t disappoint, making several glittering saves when needed.
Justin Brazeau gave Boston the early lead, scoring off a centering feed from Nikita Zadorov 10:00 into the contest. The Bruins blitzed Philadelphia, outshooting them by an 18-3 margin in the first period.
Holding a 1-0 lead, Bussi surrendered the game-tying goal off a rebound to Travis Konecny. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound southpaw managed to shake off the tally, making several big stops to close the stanza strong.
Boston Bruins Preseason Game 5 Takeaways
Bussi stymied center Jacob Gaucher off an initial drive, before denying Russian sharpshooter Matvei Michkov on the rebound with 7:46 remaining in the period. He stayed strong in the third, stoning Anthony Richard with a snapping glove save, arguably his best in the contest
“That felt good,” said Bussi. “(Richard is) a good player. I played with him last year, so I know some things. He had a good move, and it felt great to make a big save in a game where I didn’t see a lot of rubber.”
Tyler Johnson provided the Bruins with the go-ahead goal with 12:10 left in the third.
Bussi robbed Sean Couturier with a nifty pad save with 3:30 remaining, before the Bruins iced things.
Boston added a pair of empty-net goals late to seal the victory.
According to Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, Bussi stood tall against a formidable Flyer roster.
“That was a good lineup that we played tonight, a lot of offensive weapons,” said Montgomery. “I thought he read the plays well. He was aggressive and moving well. There was a flurry in the first where they missed the net, but he was there if it hit it. He was ready. That save on Richard was an important moment.”
Brad Marchand Exits First Preseason Game with Illness
It was a nice return to form for Bussi, after facing some tough bounces in the Big Apple last week. The goalie surrendered four goals, including three in the opening period, as the Rangers rolled to a 5-2 victory in that exhibition encounter at Madison Square Garden.
“The more game action you see, the better you are going into a season,” said Bussi. “Getting those experiences is really good for me and our club.”
Bussi is currently vying for Boston’s backup role behind Joonas Korpisalo, while restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman remains out in a contract dispute.
The Western Michigan University product spent most of the last two seasons with the Providence Bruins. He posted a 23-10-5 record with a 3.67 goals against average and .913 save percentage in 41 AHL games last year. He dressed as a backup for the Bruins for four regular season games, but has yet to play an NHL game.
And with Korpisalo already tabbed as the opening night starter by Montgomery, Bussi appears to be the Bruins best back-up option at the moment. He’s hoping to take that next step in his NHL evolution.
“I think every day I’ve been building,” said Bussi. “I’ve been getting a little better. It just feels good to get rewarded with a win tonight.”
