The Boston Bruins came to life against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, ending their two-game skid.
After the Black and Gold’s 5-1 victory, Brad Marchand offered a scouting report on Oliver Wahlstrom, the forward the Bruins claimed off waivers over the weekend.
“He’s a great shooter,” Marchand told reporters in Vancouver, per team-provided video. “He’s a very, very dangerous shot. He’s almost like a big Pasta (David Pastrnak) the way he can shoot a puck. He’ll be a weapon in that aspect, and then he seems to be strong on it and competes, so looking forward to having him (join the team).”
Wahlstrom joined the Bruins for the first time on Monday during practice ahead of Boston’s matchup with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The Portland, Maine native scoffed at the comparison from the Bruins captain.
“I didn’t hear about that,” Wahlstrom told reporters, per team-provided video. “That’s outrageous. Pasta is Pasta. Obviously, the shot’s there, but I’ve been working on a lot of other things in my game.”
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The 24-year-old former first-round draft pick said Marchand called him after the Bruins picked him up off the waiver wire and it’s a “dream come true” to put on the Spoked-B.
“That was pretty cool. Obviously, I grew up watching him play,” Wahlstrom said. “… I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. It’s a dream come true to be back home where my family and friends live.”
Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco didn’t provide a timeline for when Wahlstrom would make his debut with the Black and Gold.
“He rotated in with two lines today,” Sacco said, per team-provided audio. “We have not made any decisions yet as far as who’s playing or who’s not (Tuesday against the Flames). … It was an opportunity for us to see him in a full skate with the team, which was good.”
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Whether or not Wahlstrom slots into the lineup against Calgary, the Bruins will look for back-to-back wins as they continue their five-game road trip Tuesday night. Puck drop from Scotiabank Saddledome is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, following an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.