Czarnik makes nice impression
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
Third-year center Austin Czarnik is determined not to be “the forgotten man” in the Bruins’ youth movement this season.
Czarnik was the most visible forward in last night’s 4-2 victory against the Detroit Red Wings at the Garden. He logged 15:15 of quality ice time, scored on a penalty shot and finished tied with David Pastrnak for the team high with four shots on goal.
“He was very good, and I think the forgotten man maybe he was thinking around all these young guys,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He wants to make his mark and push for a job with the team, and I thought he looked real good and won a lot of pucks.”
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Czarnik is an energy player who isn’t afraid to mix it up in the contested areas of the offensive zone. His persistence paid off when he was awarded the penalty shot at 17:19 of the second period. Czarnik brought the puck to the doorstep of Wings goalie Jared Coreau and flipped a high wrist shot in to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead.
“That’s what I usually do,” Czarnik said. “It hasn’t been very good for me, but today it worked out.”
Finishing touch
Former Boston College star Ryan Fitzgerald scored the first goal in his NHL debut aligned with two of the team’s top forwards.
Fitzgerald worked with Pastrnak and David Krejci during the morning skate and was paired with them in the first period. Krejci fed defenseman Jakub Zboril, who relayed the puck to Fitzgerald in the right circle. His one-timed wrist shot beat goalie Petr Mrazek to the near post at 3:45 of the second.
“It was the result of a lot of great plays from a lot of great players, and I was fortunate,” Fitzgerald said. “I just came in to do what I do best and control what I can control.”
Faceoff follies
Detroit center Dylan Larkin must not have gotten the memo that NHL officials would vigorously enforce the faceoff rules.
Larkin was tossed from the dot three times in the first period, twice on the same power play. Red Wings right winger Martin Frk was sent to the box for a faceoff violation at 9:58 of the second. The Wings were issued a bench faceoff penalty at 19:05 of the third.
Bruins winger Brad Marchand, who has not played in the first two preseason games, expressed his displeasure with the league’s faceoff restrictions following the morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena.
“The slashing (rule) is one (thing), but that faceoff rule is an absolute joke,” Marchand said. “That is how you ruin the game of hockey, by putting that in there. They are going to have to do something about that because we can’t play this year like that. That’s brutal. Basically you have to be a statue (during faceoffs). When you can’t move, it takes away from the center iceman.”
Matching up
Defenseman Torey Krug was excited to be paired with rookie Charlie McAvoy in the starting lineup. The NHL is trending toward more puck-moving defensemen, and the plan was working well until Krug took a puck to the face at 8:57 of the second and did not return. McAvoy then played with Rob O’Gara . . ..
Forward Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson slid head-first into the boards early in the second period and did not return . . . .
Defenseman Brandon Carlo returned to action for the first time since suffering a concussion in the 2016-17 regular-season finale against the Washington Capitals. Carlo played in 82 games paired primarily with Zdeno Chara last season and recorded 16 points with a plus-9 rating.
Cheap shot
Bruins center Sean Kuraly threw down with Detroit’s Luke Glendening in the neutral zone at 15:40 of the second period and got the worst of the exchange.
Kuraly took a pair of shots to the back of the head before losing his balance. Glendening delivered a parting punch when Kuraly was on his back before the linesmen broke it up.