Brandon Bussi shines in Bruins preseason opener

On Sunday night, the Bruins started their preseason with a dominating 3-0 win over the Rangers. While the Bruins got contributions throughout their roster, Brandon Bussi shined in net.

The New Jersey native stopped all 29 shots he faced, including 20 at even strength. For 60 minutes, Bussi held the Rangers offense in check and was a brick wall as hockey returned to TD Garden. He was also the talk of social media due to a stellar save in the third period.

With the Rangers on the powerplay, forward Jonny Brodzinski appeared to have a wide-open net. That lasted for a millisecond as the Bruins rookie goalie moved from one side of the net to the other and made a glove save. It was a stop he will never forget, as it earned him a standing ovation.

"Just a wild experience overall," Bussi told reporters postgame. "I don't think I've ever played in front of a crowd that excited, that much energy. And it's only preseason. It's a testament to how great our fans are."

While Bussi does not have an easy path to the NHL with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman on the roster, he showed why he is one of the Bruins most promising goalie prospects on Sunday night. Last season, the 25-year-old recorded a .924 save percentage in 31 games for Providence. He also added one shutout to his resume.

With Bussi expected to start the season in Providence, he will be a player to watch. He made the most of his opportunity on Sunday night while finishing with 10 saves on the Rangers' 10 high-danger scoring opportunities. If he can build on his success, his stock will continue to rise as he waits for his opportunity at the NHL level.

His play has already caught the eye of Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.

“ It was unreal,” said Montgomery of Bussi’s third-period save. “Honest to god. I thought he didn’t get it. It was a great play by them. But the fact he read it? I mean, that’s a double-slot-line play. They go in at like 75 %. Brodzinski put it three-quarters of the way up the net. It wasn’t like a low glove and shot in the glove. He went and snared it. Big Time.”