Ally Thibault
Journal Staff

On Friday night, the Boston Bruins won their first preseason game, defeating the New York Islanders 6-3.  The defending Stanley Cup Champions played at the TD Garden in front of a decent-sized crowd but the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed than during playoff season.
The game started off shaky for the Bruins, especially the Stanley Cup Most Valuable Player, goalie Tim Thomas. Only a minute into the game, the Islanders scored on the legendary Boston strongman. A second goal snuck past Thomas in the first period, as the Islanders seemed to have the majority of control over the puck.
But as if they were only challenging the faith of their diehard fans, the Bruins quickly tied the score at 2-2 with goals by David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron.  At this point, fans’ comments in the Garden suddenly shifted to excited screams of encouragement to their beloved hockey team.  In the second period, the Islanders shot and scored for the last time as the Bruins finally started to play like Stanley Cup Champs.
Dennis Seidenberg scored a third goal for the Bruins and the momentum was never lost after. Brad Marchand scored the fourth goal in a chaotic offensive campaign against the Islanders.
Next, Johnny Boychuk scored the fifth goal from the neutral zone, sending fans to their feet in a frenzied hurry to cheer the amazing shot.  Before the announcer at the Garden had time to finish commentating on Boychuk’s goal, Rich Peverley scored another.
While the stars of the 2010-2011 season commanded the scoring, the new rookies held their own as well.
As the buzzer sounded for the end of the game, Bruins fans were content with their Stanley Cup Champs.  The Bruins won the game after an intense comeback, complete with amazing shots and a little violence—just the way Boston fans like it.
When the regular season kicks off at the TD Garden on October 6th, Bruins fans should be proud of their team and justified in their optimism for this season’s prospects. If the Bruins can keep up this pace, the Cup may find a more permanent home in Boston.