The Bruins and New York Rangers had more grit than high-end skill in their respective lineups in Sunday’s preseason opener at the Garden. But though the B’s showed off some of their edge, it was the Rangers who prevailed on Sunday, 3-2.

Cole Koepke gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 1:34 into the game, putting back a rebound of a Billy Sweezey point shot. But the Rangers went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead after Victor Mancini and then Filip Chytil beat Brandon Bussi glove side.

As planned, Bussi gave way to Michael DiPietro halfway through the second period. Bussi allowed two goals on 12 shots.

Trevor Kuntar, who brought his sandpaper presence much of the game, tied the game in the second period off a rebound in traffic. But in the third period, Alex Belzile gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead early in the third period when DiPietro allowed a bad angle, soft goal at 4:46.

With a chance to tie, the B’s squandered a late power play and then could not convert on the 6-on—5 with the goalie pulled…

Mark Kastelic, obtained in the Linus Ullmark trade and a leading candidate for fourth liner center, took two offensive zone penalties in the first period. After the second one – a leg trip on Filip Chytil, he and Casey Fitzgerald wanted to go but the linesmen wouldn’t let them. While the penalties were not ideal, the 6-foot-4 Kastelic brought a lot of physicality and attitude in from the New York net. Kastelic also sold out to block a shot in the third period….

The Rangers’ Brennan Orthmann nailed Parker Wotherspoon with two big hits – a not-so-legal late hit in the first period and then a legal, green light blast in the second period. Wotherspoon decided to exact some revenge at the end of the second period when, out of a larger scrum, he squared off with Orthmann and got the better of the Ranger before flinging Orthmann’s helmet after the fight was broken up. Wotherspoon got the extra two for unsportsmanlike conduct and the 10-minute misconduct. After Koepke took a quick penalty, the Rangers had a 5-on-3 for 1:37 but the B’s killed it off….

Montgomery said that Elias Lindholm, out of action since the first day of camp with an undisclosed injury, will get on the ice on Monday to see how it’s feeling. The coach also said tat Morgan Geekie, who left Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage with what looked like a lower body injury, styed off the ice on Sunday but that it was just maintenance….

The Bruins showed a video tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver while bicycling. There was then 13 seconds of silence, signifying the Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey number.