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The other reason Lindholm will get hit is that people know what he can do when he’s free.

He scored from the perimeter on a 5-on-3 against Phoenix. He also hit Brad Staubitz in stride with a sweet 100-foot pass.

There are six Swedes on the Ducks’ training camp roster. Winger Jakob Silfverberg and goaltender Niklas Fasth will be here from Game 1, and Rickard Rakell, another former first-round pick, is scrapping for a spot among the bottom-six forwards.,

The Ducks’ man in Sweden is Jan-Ake Danielson, who played at the U. of Wisconsin. Danielson recommended Fasth – “and after three years I finally listened to him,” Murray said – and kept the Ducks informed when Lindholm, as a 17-year-old, helped Rogle BK to a promotion into the Swedish Elite League.

“Our game has become puck-possession, puck-management,” Murray said. “Swedes are very good at that. They’re very comfortable and calm with the puck.

“But coaches love them because they are so low-maintenance. They love to play, they give you no trouble, and they show up on time and work hard. Sammy Pahlsson was a great player for us (in the Stanley Cup year of 2007) and you never heard a word out of him.”

Generally, the Swedes play less, but practice more, than North American kids.

“In Sweden, if someone else has the puck, they want us to show that you want the puck, open yourself up,’ Lindholm said. “Then you’re going to feel comfortable with it, you want to do something with it. Our drills are more skating and stickhandling. Over here it’s probably more shooting.”

Lindholm’s hometown is Helsingborg, a half-hour ferry ride from Denmark. Kenny Jonsson, a former Islanders defenseman, is from there.

“He was a little bit like Lidstrom,” Lindholm said. “But then I was a big fan of Lidstrom, of course.”

Lidstrom’s game and life were so pristine that some people doubted that he possessed blood. Nobody made him shed any.

Lindholm smiled. “Maybe I could learn from him,” he said.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 09.19.2013

717218 Boston Bruins

Torey Krug responsible for power-play production

By Fluto Shinzawa | September 19, 2013

It’s still possible that Torey Krug may not be in uniform for the Bruins’ season opener against Tampa Bay on Oct. 3.

The fight for the two open blue-line spots will be between Krug, Dougie Hamilton, and Matt Bartkowski, according to general manager Peter Chiarelli.

“I guess that doesn’t rule out other D-men that may be among the seven,” Chiarelli said. “But common sense would dictate that it’s those three guys for those two spots.”

Krug’s touch on the power play, however, makes it a virtual guarantee he’ll be among the six-pack for the season opener.

In Monday’s 6-3 win over Montreal at the Bell Centre, Krug quarterbacked the No. 1 power-play unit and was the only defenseman. The other four skaters were David Krejci, Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic, and Carl Soderberg.

Krug helped the Bruins go 4 for 6 on the power play. Of Krug’s three assists, two came on the power play. The Bruins are counting on similar man-up production from Krug when the real games begin.

“That’s where I thrive,” Krug said. “That’s why I’m here. If I wasn’t playing on the power play, I don’t think they’d have much room for me up here with the big club. I’ve got to make sure I’m doing my best to help the power play succeed. For the most part, that’s distributing the puck to the forwards and letting guys like Krech, Looch, and Iggy do their thing. It’s very exciting. It’s always fun playing offense. You have more fun playing offense than defense. I think everyone would agree with that.”

Krug has a history of power-play results. Three of his four postseason goals last year were in man-advantage situations. In Providence, Krug scored five PP goals. The numbers indicate that Krug is just as confident shooting the puck as he is dishing it to his teammates.

The Bruins have four preseason games remaining in which to tinker with their power play. But based on their practices and Monday’s results, their first unit will remain together, although Zdeno Chara replacing Soderberg as a down-low option is a possibility.

The formation starts with Krug. The point man will be responsible for setting up the power play. The coaches expect Krug to retrieve pucks rapidly, then push the pace on the breakout. When the Bruins gain the offensive zone, Krug will be at the point, either in the middle or left side.

From there, Krug will consider his options. Krug can look to Krejci on his right. Lucic will be in front. Soderberg or Chara will also be roaming down low. Iginla will be stationed on the left side, either along the half-boards or circle.

It will be up to Krug to make brisk decisions. Krug’s performance against the Canadiens emphasized he’s ready for the role.

“It was good,” Krug said of the unit’s flow. “We spent a lot of time after practice passing to each other. We got into a game and moved the puck well. We were shooting the puck. That was important. When you’re shooting more pucks, what that does is opens up passing lanes. Looch was able to find a couple passing lanes. So, it was good for us.”

Krug’s most dangerous option might be setting up Iginla. The Bruins have had offensive-minded right-shot forwards on the power play in previous seasons. They’ve tried out Krejci, Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, and Rich Peverley. But none of the left-side forwards have been regular one-time rippers. They’ve been quicker to snap wristers coming off the wall or to distribute the puck, either down low or back to the point.

Iginla didn’t show any of that hesitation against the Canadiens. He loaded up for multiple one-timers from the left circle. In the first period, Iginla opened the scoring with a left-side one-timer past Carey Price. Iginla could be the Bruins’ version of Steven Stamkos or Daniel Alfredsson — a right-shot pounder who could one-time Krug’s feeds.

Nathan Horton, the previous top-line right wing, wasn’t a one-time specialist. The Bruins deployed Horton in the high slot because of his snap shot.

“One of the issues I thought we had last year was that right-hand shot couldn’t get a one-timer away,” Julien said. “We tried Seguin, Peverley, stuff like that. Now we’ve got a guy who can really shoot the puck the way a guy like Stamkos shoots it. I think that helps to have a guy like Iggy there. He’s got a great one-time shot. That’s another step in the right direction for our power play.”

Krug is also expected to shoot. Opponents may overload on Iginla and open shooting lanes for Krug.

Krug’s slapper may not be as hard as Chara’s, but he doesn’t need much time to wind up and rip.

“What happens is teams will locate and say, ‘Oh, Iggy’s going to hang out on this side, so we’ve got to make sure we have a guy out to block his shot,’ ” Krug said. “Or, ‘Krech’s going to be over on this side, looking to make plays, so let’s cover those two guys.’ Then I’m sitting up there alone. The more I shoot the puck, the better Grade-A chances they’re going to get. It’s definitely a mixture of distributing and shooting. It all starts with shooting the puck and making sure we’re not standing still and being static.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 09.19.2013

717219 Boston Bruins

Carl Soderberg and Reilly Smith aiming for 3d line

By Fluto Shinzawa | September 19, 2013

Two weeks from Thursday, the Bruins will start the regular season at home against Tampa Bay.

Before then, injuries could happen. Players could open eyes, in good or bad ways, in the four remaining preseason games and practices.

But as of now, the Bruins may have a good idea of how their third line might look.

The No. 3 line has two openings on Chris Kelly’s wings. Based on their play, pedigree, and the team’s needs, Carl Soderberg and Reilly Smith are currently the leading candidates as left and right wings.

At the start of camp, coach Claude Julien said he wanted a third line similar to the threesome in 2010-11: Kelly between Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley. It was a unit that could provide secondary scoring and play with some jam.

Soderberg is the most skilled forward of the group. He scored 31 goals for Linkoping in Sweden last year.

Against Montreal on Monday, Soderberg centered Matt Fraser and Craig Cunningham. But general manager Peter Chiarelli projects Soderberg to be on the wing. Kelly is a responsible two-way center. He won 57.9 percent of his faceoffs last year. Soderberg did not stand out at center against the Canadiens.

“He can really shoot the puck,” Chiarelli said. “From that perspective, maybe right now he’s the guy we collectively see on the wing. I see the way that he’s beaten D in practice, going wide and being strong on the puck. For me, that’s a prototypical winger trait. He’s got some of the power forward traits to his game. We’ll see how these next games progress.”

The Bruins also have plans for Soderberg on the power play. He was on the first unit against the Canadiens. The left-shot Soderberg could be the right-side goal-line forward. Soderberg could also see time in front or on the right half-boards.

Smith doesn’t have Soderberg’s goal-scoring history. But the second-year pro has submitted a strong camp. The left-shot Smith would be playing his off wing. Smith, however, played right wing for most of his three-year career at Miami University.

Smith appeared in 37 games for Dallas last year, tallying three goals and six assists. The Bruins would want Smith to be a two-way wing in the Peverley mold — fast, quick, and intelligent. Smith played alongside Kelly and Jordan Caron against Washington on Tuesday.

“He’s very smart,” Chiarelli said. “He makes good plays in small spaces. He’s got a real good shot. For me, I’m still evaluating. I haven’t seen a lot of him. I saw him a couple times in college. I didn’t see him live in Dallas. Our guys scouted Dallas quite closely last year. Very good stick on the wrong side. He picks pucks very well. Very good on the wall. He’s not the biggest guy, but I think he plays with an edge. He’s got a lot of the things we like.”

Johnson needs work

Chad Johnson, Tuukka Rask’s likely backup, didn’t submit his best attempt at grabbing the job. Johnson allowed three goals on eight shots on Monday before ceding the crease to Malcolm Subban in the second period.

The Canadiens scored their first goal after Johnson fumbled a long-distance Louis Leblanc shot. P.K. Subban hammered a five-on-three slap shot past Johnson for Montreal’s second goal. Max Pacioretty scored the third goal by slipping the puck five-hole.

“We’ve seen Chad play better,” Chiarelli said.

“He only had eight shots. But still, three goals on eight shots. I don’t fault him on the Subban shot. The other one, five-hole behind the D? He didn’t get a lot of help on that one, either. But he’s got to be better.”

Johnson will play one full game in the four remaining matches.

Campbell close

Gregory Campbell might dress on Thursday against the Red Wings. “I think as I play, I’ll get more comfortable,” said Campbell, recovering from a broken leg suffered in the Eastern Conference finals . “The mental challenge is a big one too, just trying to overcome that. I’m feeling good enough to play. It’s time for me now to move forward and just play.” . . . Patrice Bergeron is not likely to play Thursday. The Bruins still plan for Bergeron to appear in at least one preseason game . . . If Soderberg and Smith make the third line, Caron could be the extra forward. Caron is on a one-way deal . . . The Bruins cut six from camp on Wednesday: Adam Morrison, Tyler Randell, Jack Downing, Steven Spinell, Ben Youds, and Scott Campbell. All will report to Providence’s camp. The Bruins have 45 players remaining in main camp. They are planning to make their second round of cuts Friday . . . Daniel Paille (illness) and Bobby Robins (personal) didn’t practice on Wednesday.

Boston Globe LOADED: 09.19.2013

717220 Boston Bruins

Bruins cut six from camp

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

The Bruins have cut six players from their main camp. Scott Campbell, Jack Downing, Steven Spinell, Ben Youds, Tyler Randell, and Adam Morrison will report to Providence’s camp.

The Bruins have 45 players remaining in main camp. They will make their second round of cuts Friday.

Boston Globe LOADED: 09.19.2013

717221 Boston Bruins

Bruins to make first cuts

Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff September 18, 2013 03:14 PM

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

The Bruins will make their first cuts today, prior to Thursday’s game against Detroit at TD Garden. They will cut approximately six players. They will trim the roster again on Friday.

Of the group that remains, about 10 veterans will dress against Detroit, according to Claude Julien. Gregory Campbell could make his preseason debut. Patrice Bergeron is not expected to dress. The Bruins expect Bergeron to play later in the preseason.

Also:

* For now, general manager Peter Chiarelli projects Carl Soderberg to play on the wing instead of in the middle. Soderberg has the inside line on the No. 3 left wing job. The Bruins are also expecting Soderberg to see time on the power play, on the goal line or in front.

* Goaltender Chad Johnson will make at least one more preseason start. Johnson fought the puck in Monday’s 6-3 win over Montreal, allowing three goals on eight shots. Both Julien and Chiarelli expect Johnson will be better.

* Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug, and Matt Bartkowski are the top three candidates for the two blue line openings, Chiarelli confirmed. Krug is just about guaranteed a spot because of his power-play touch. Hamilton is one of three right-shot defensemen. Bartkowski could open the season as the extra defenseman.

* Daniel Paille didn’t practice today because of an illness. Bobby Robins was excused because of a personal matter.

Boston Globe LOADED: 09.19.2013

717222 Boston Bruins

B’s Chad Johnson
 a step behind

By:Steve Conroy

Making a good first impression always is important when you’re trying out for a new team. But right now, Chad Johnson can only hope his second impression is better than his first.

In Monday’s preseason opener in Montreal, the goaltender struggled in the period and a half he played, allowing three goals on just eight shots. In fact, the first shot he saw, more than 12 minutes into the game, was from long distance by Louis LeBlanc, and he fumbled the puck with his glove, leading to an easy Travis Moen score.

Johnson also was beaten on a laser by P.K. Subban on a 5-on-3, and through the 5-hole by Max Pacioretty before he was replaced, as planned, at the midpoint of the game by Malcolm Subban.

“It was a tough one,” Johnson said yesterday. “The first (game) you kind of want to get in the flow of things. I just didn’t get off to a good start. Tough way to start, for sure.”

The 27-year-old Johnson, who has played in 10 NHL games with the Rangers and Coyotes (3-2-3, 1.97 goals-against average, .929 save percentage), didn’t want to make excuses, but he felt a little more action early in the game would have helped.

“You always want to get a lot of shots in exhibition season. You want to get in there right away and get a feel for it, get comfortable,” Johnson said. “When you don’t see shots for 12 minutes, you still have to be ready, but it would have been nice to see some shots. The first shot I had on me, I mishandled it with the glove and it was obviously a bad goal. That happened right off the start, and from there, there were a lot of penalties and not a lot of flow.

“I didn’t play at all how I wanted to play, but for me, you just try to take what you can out of it. Obviously it was disappointing for myself, but you can’t worry about it now. It’s over with.”

Johnson is in a battle with Niklas Svedberg to be Tuukka Rask’s backup. Svedberg had a strong outing in Baltimore on Tuesday, but it would be convenient for the B’s if Johnson picks up his game and earns the spot. That way, Svedberg could go back down to the minors without being exposed to waivers. Also, Johnson is more friendly to the salary cap, his $600,000 hit lower than Svedberg’s $1 million.

Neither coach Claude Julien nor general manager Peter Chiarelli sounded the alarm after Johnson’s performance in Montreal, but every appearance counts.

“He’s going to get (another) game, so we’ll see him,” Chiarelli said. “That’s another spot that’s open to competition. We’ve seen Chad play better. He only saw eight shots, but still, three goals on eight shots. . . . I don’t fault him on the Subban goal. The other one by Pacioretty, he didn’t get a lot of help on that one. But he’s got to be better.”

The job of the backup can be overlooked at times, but it is quite important, especially considering how much Julien likes to rest his starter. Anton Khudobin played in 14 games last season, a little more than a quarter of the lockout-shortened campaign.

Johnson feels like he has to make up a little ground.

“You definitely want to show well and do what you can in camp,” Johnson said. “They’ve seen me play and they know what (the other goalies) can do, so they’re expecting that. When it comes down to it, it’s their decision on what they do, regardless if I play great or the other guys play great. For me, it’s just a matter of getting into the rhythm of the game and make sure I play well and get my game to where it has to be. If I’m playing great and I’m here, I’m here. I’m obviously looking to be here. That’s my mindset.”

He’s expecting to play the entire game Saturday against Detroit.

“I know where my game needs to be and how I have to play at this level,” Johnson said. “I just have to get in the flow of things, and hopefully that will come in a little better situation.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 09.19.2013

717223 Boston Bruins

Signs point to Gregory Campbell’s return tonight

By:Steve Conroy, Bruins Notebook

Gregory Campbell could make his return to game action as soon as tonight, when the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings at the Garden.

And it will be tonight if Campbell has his druthers.

“I think (tonight) is a realistic possibility,” Campbell said after yesterday’s morning session at the Garden. “Talking to the surgeon the other day, things look good. It’s just a matter of what Claude (Julien) has in store. I’m more than willing to play and I want to play. I want to test myself and see how I feel in game situations.”

If Campbell does play tonight, it will be his first time in front of Bruins fans since he suffered a broken leg while blocking an Evgeni Malkin shot in the Eastern Conference finals, perhaps the team’s signature moment in its drive to the Stanley Cup finals.

Campbell had surgery to repair the right fibula, which now has a plate and six screws in it. That hardware might come out down the road, but he expects to play with it for the foreseeable future.

If Campbell wanted a challenge for the surgically repaired leg, it came yesterday when Adam McQuaid checked him to the ice and he slid hard, feet-first, into the boards.

“I’ve had a few tests the last week or so, bumping into different people and finding myself in awkward positions and it’s been fine. I haven’t felt any effect later on in the day, no swelling or anything like that, which is a good sign,” Campbell said. “I honestly didn’t feel it (yesterday), which was great. For me, it’s just more getting comfortable in those situations where you have another player on you and feeling strong enough to battle.”

Julien said it was possible Campbell could play tonight, but Patrice Bergeron (ribs) would “probably not,” though he could get in on Saturday in Detroit.

Blue-line battle

Defensemen Zach Trotman and Kevan Miller have had good camps, but general manager Peter Chiarelli indicated Torey Krug, Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton still have a step on them.

“No spot is guaranteed, but their body of work is greater than those two, so I would have them ahead,” Chiarelli said.

There has been some speculation that Hamilton could be forced to play at AHL Providence, but it didn’t sound like Chiarelli was thinking that way.

“My goal is to have him in the NHL,” the GM said.

The Bruins did send Tyler Randell, Jack Downing, Steven Spinell, Ben Youds, Adam Morrison and Scott Campbell to Providence yesterday.

Swede thoughts

Chiarelli has liked a lot of what he’s seen from Carl Soderberg in camp.

“He’s come to camp in terrific condition, he’s quicker on the first few steps, he’s barreled around (defensemen) a few times taking pucks to the net,” Chiarelli said of the Swedish center. “He’s shown me some stuff that I’ve seen before from him and that I would expect to see from him. He’s certainly not a rookie, so to speak, as far as age. His game the other night, I thought he felt his way a little bit. I think he was real good on recoveries on the power play. He’s a real heavy player recovering pucks.

“I like a lot about his game and I hope we can slot him in there, whether it’s center or wing. It’s still to be determined.”

The decision could come down to whether the B’s want to move Soderberg or Chris Kelly to wing and, though nothing’s been decided, Chiarelli said Soderberg’s size and shot could translate well to the wing. . . .

Reilly Smith continues to put his best foot forward in the competition for the third line right winger.

“I thought he made some nifty plays, I liked his battle. He’s a smart, heady player,” Chiarelli said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he plays with an edge, so he’s got a lot of things that we like. He’s caught my eye a little bit.” . . .

Goalie Tuukka Rask on a possible matchup against former teammate Tim Thomas, who signed a tryout contract with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday: “That’ll be a media debacle going on if that happens.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 09.19.2013

717224 Boston Bruins

Gregory Campbell hopes for return to ice tomorrow night at Garden

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 |Steve Conroy

Gregory Campbell could be making his return to game action as soon as tomorrow night when the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings at the Garden. And it sounded like it will be, if Campbell has his druthers.

“I think (tonight) is a realistic possibility,” said Campbell after this morning's session at the Garden. “Talking to the surgeon the other day, things look good. It's just a matter of what Claude (Julien) has in store. I'm more than willing to play and I want to play. I want to test myself and see how I feel in game situations.”

If he does play Thursday night, it will be his first time in front of Bruins fans since he suffered a broken leg while blocking an Evgeni Malkin shot in the Eastern Conference Finals, perhaps the B's signature moment in their drive to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He had surgery to repair the right fibula, which now has a plate and six screws. That hardware could come out in the future, but he expects to play with them for the foreseeable future.

If Campbell wanted a challenge for the surgically repaired leg, he got it yesterday morning when Adam McQuaid checked him to the ice and he slid hard, feet-first, into the boards.

“I've had a few tests the last week or so, bumping into different people and finding myself in awkward positions and it's been fine. I haven't felt any effect later on in the day, no swelling or anything like that, which is a good sign,” said Campbell. “I honestly didn't feel it (yesterday), which was great. For me, it's just more getting comfortable in those situations where you have another player on you and feeling strong enough to battle.”