News Bruins Team Notes

[Boston Bruins]

Morning Skate: Home

Welcome to a new week, folks!

We got our first snow of the season in the Boston area on Sunday, followed by temperatures in the low teens, so we’re all really thriving over in this part of the world.

The Bruins ended their road trip on a flat note on Sunday evening, losing to the Minnesota Wild, 6-2.

It was a deserved result, as the B’s really weren’t in the game in any meaningful way and eventually found themselves down 5-0, which isn’t ideal.

While Minnesota played the day before, I feel like this wasn’t a surprising loss given the circumstances: the Wild are on a good run of late, Quinn Hughes was making his Minnesota debut, etc.

Overall, two wins out of three games on the road trip is a decent showing.

And now, the B’s get a bit of a holiday bonus: they won’t hit the road again until the Saturday after Christmas, as they’ll have a five-game homestand heading into the holiday.

Not a bad time to be home for an extended stretch, that’s for sure.

The Mammoth will come to town on Tuesday, followed by the Flying McDavids on Thursday. There’s also a looming home date with the Montreal Canadiens, who will visit TD Garden in the B’s last game before Christmas.

After the energetic match-up between those two teams at the Bell Centre, that should be a fun one.

So, the heartland swing is over, the Stadium Series jerseys have been released, the injured players are back…that’s about the lay of the land at this point.

Christmas feels like another mile marker on the NHL calendar, and the Bruins find themselves in the mix for a playoff spot, which is something most of us would have taken if offered back in October.

Plus, this year’s team has been a far more entertaining watch than what we saw last season, so that’s a bonus too. No coal in any stockings this year.

What’s on tap for today?

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/morning-skate-open-threads/57471/morning-skate-home

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: A Sunday showdown between the Bruins and Wild

Just the facts​

• When: Today, 6 PM
• Where: Grand Casino Arena – St. Paul, MN
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective: Hockey Wilderness

Know your enemy​

• 18-9-5, 41PTS, 3rd in the Central Division
• Matt Boldy: 17G-18A-35PTS; Kirill Kaprizov: 18G-16A-34PTS; Marcus Johansson: 11G-14A-25PTS
• Filip Gustavsson: 9-8-3, 2.64 GAA, .907 save percentage

Game notes​

• The Bruins will wrap up their three-game road trip with a stop in Minneapolis-St. Paul to face the Wild, who will be extra juiced with their “swing for the fences” acquisition of Quinn Hughes on Friday.
• The Wild beat Ottawa 3-2 at home on Saturday afternoon, but Hughes didn’t play. He’s expected to make his Minnesota debut this evening.
• Jonas Brodin will miss his second consecutive game for the Wild today as he nurses an upper-body injury.
• Jesper Wallstedt, who is 4-1-0 with two shutouts in his last five games, started Saturday’s game in net for Minnesota, meaning we’ll likely see Filip Gustavsson today.
• Somewhat surprisingly, Minnesota hasn’t been a great offensive team this season, sitting at 25th in the NHL in GF/G. They’re a stout defensive bunch, however, allowing 2.63 goals per game (5th in the NHL).
• Former Bruin Marcus Johansson is having himself a throwback season thus far, with 11 goals in 32 games. He scored 11 goals in each of the last two seasons, but in 78 and 72 games, respectively. Fair to say he’s a bit ahead of that pace. He has 3G-2A-5PTS totals in his last three games.
• With Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak now firmly back in the mix, no news is good news for the Bruins.
• One note on the radio broadcast of this game: the Patriots are playing at 1 PM today and are broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub, so there’s a chance the B’s get bumped or have a shortened pre-game show.

See ya this evening!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...a-sunday-showdown-between-the-bruins-and-wild

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Mammoth

It’s not every game that we get a true clash of the titans. Sometimes we’re stuck with “Bruins vs. article of clothing” or “Bruins vs. weather phenomenon” or “Bruins vs. type of music.”

Tonight, however, is one of those clashes: large bears vs. large kind-of elephants.

Who will emerge victorious? Time will tell, I guess.

While the on-ice clash will be slightly less dramatic than a bear vs. a mammoth, it should still be a decent game.

Utah is having a pretty good second season, and the Bruins are a better team (as a collective) than they were when these two sides met in Salt Lake City in October.

Bruins! Mammoth! Mammoths? Mammoth!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57479/public-skate-bruins-vs-mammoth

 

[Boston Bruins]

Recap: Bruins top Mammoth, 4-1, with Geekie’s two-goal night

A two-goal night from Morgan Geekie helped the Boston Bruins rebound from a slow start and gain control of the game to defeat the Utah Mammoth, 4-1, at the TD Garden on Tuesday night.

The Bruins have now won five of their last six games.

Pastrnak assisted on both of Geekie’s goals while Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves in the win as the B’s improved to 12-5-0 at home.

Here are the highlights!

First period:

On the power play, Sean Durzi sent a long shot on net which out front, Barrett Hayton tipped past Jeremy Swayman. 1-0 Mammoth.

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The Bruins had their own power play chance at the end of the period after getting into rhythm to close out the first frame. David Pastrnak sent a pass through the seams to Morgan Geekie in the left-wing circle for a wrist shot into the net while Vitek Vanecek tried to reset. 1-1 game.

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Second period:

Geekie kept the momentum going when just 23 seconds into the period when out front, he picked up the rebound from Pastrnak’s shot to give the Bruins the lead. 2-1 Bruins.

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Third period:

Pavel Zacha’s shot went wide, but bounced off the end boards for Casey Mittelstadt to pick up the puck and put a quick shot past Vanecek from the goal line. 3-1 Bruins.

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Michael Eyssimont backhanded exploded down the boards before cutting to the center and throwing a backhander past Vanecek. Final score: 4-1 Bruins.

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Game notes​

• The Bruins got off to a slow start, which seems as expected after a road trip. They just seemed like they were slower in all zones to the Mammoth, only registering one shot on net for most of the first half of the period, and had trouble connecting. Postgame, Geekie said he felt the Bruins were flat out of the gate as sometimes the first game back from the road can be sleepy.
• After the game, Pastrnak called it a mental reset for the second period. “We were in this together and eventually we got going. You never want to lose two, three in a row because that’s when things get tough, but brought of how we bounced back today.
• Speaking of keeping losses at one game —the last time the Bruins were on a two-game losing streak was Nov. 17-19. Since then, they’ve managed to bounce back after a loss, like they did tonight.
• But the B’s began to build their game, capitalizing on the power play with short, hard passes and such a beautiful pass by Pastrnak to Geekie. The Bruins reset after the first period and quickly attacked in the second with Geekie tallying both goals. It was Geekie’s fifth multi-goal game this season. He was so close to getting the hat trick in the third, but Vanecek poked it away. He now has the second most goals this season in the league.
• Postgame, Geekie was asked about the Bruins being able to wear teams down and being tough to play against. He said the team is well conditioned, adding all four lines are able to play off each other and it shows how the Bruins are built.
• Swayman was a big factor in keeping it a one-goal game for the first period as the Bruins slowly began to find their game with the last several minutes left in the frame. He continued to make timely saves and tracked the puck well.
• In four career games against Utah, Pastrnak has now registered at least a point in each. He’s now 2G, 3A, 5PTS against them over the last two seasons.
• The Bruins will continue their five-game homestand on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Edmonton Oilers.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...s-top-mammoth-4-1-with-geekies-two-goal-night

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: Bruins return home to face the Mammoth

Just the facts​

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Know your enemy​

• 16-15-3, 35PTS, 4th in the Central Division
• Nick Schmaltz: 12G-18A-30PTS; Clayton Keller: 10G-18A-28PTS; Dylan Guenther: 15G-12A-27PTS
• Karel Vejmelka: 14-9-2, 2.78 GAA, .893

Game notes​

• After a 2-1-0 road trip, the Bruins return home to the friendly confines of TD Garden to host the Utah Mammoth for the first time in franchise history. Last time Utah swung through, you may remember that they were a franchise-to-be-named-later. Now, they are much more wooly.
• This will not be the first-ever Bruin-Mammoth encounter, however, as giant short-faced bears and mammoth coexisted back in prehistory (according to Google). In addition, these two teams already played once this season, with Utah beating the B’s 3-2 back in mid-October.
• The Bruins last played a home game ten days ago, beating the New Jersey Devils, 4-1. For some reason, it seems like longer ago than that.
• The Mammoth were last in action on Sunday, beating the Penguins, 5-4 in OT. That game saw Utah rally from 3-0 down in the third to lead 4-3, only to give up a game-tying goal then win in overtime. Up, down, up, down, etc.
• JJ Peterka, freed from the dumpster fire in Buffalo, has been a good acquisition for Utah, recording 13 goals in 34 games.
• Utah, as a team, is bucking the “rotating goalies” trend this season, with Czech goalie Karel Vejmelka appearing in 26 of the Mammoth’s 34 games. Connor Hellebuyck nods in approval.
• Dylan Guenther, near the top of Utah’s team scoring list, has been on a hot streak of late with five goals in his last four games.
• The Bruins will be returning to TD Garden ice in better overall shape than when they left, with both Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak returning to action during the recent road trip.

See ya tonight!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...review-bruins-return-home-to-face-the-mammoth

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Oilers

Another night of hockey is upon us, folks!

We don’t see Edmonton too often around these parts, and it’s always a treat to get to watch elite talent like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Bruins defenders/goalies may feel differently, but it can’t be about them all of the time, right?

One week to go until Christmas, so hopefully you’ve done most of your shopping.

If not, there’s still time to go out and find that last TurboMan doll before Myron the mailman finds it. Never give up.

Anyways, it’s the Bruins! It’s the Oilers! It’s ice hockey, live on ice!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57508/public-skate-bruins-vs-oilers

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: Here come the Oilers

Just the facts​

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Know your enemy​

• 16-12-6, 38PTS, 3rd in the Pacific Division
• Connor McDavid: 20G-36A-56PTS; Leon Draisaitl: 17G-30A-47PTS; Evan Bouchard: 6G-26A-32PTS
• Tristan Jarry: 11-3-1, 2.77 GAA, .905 save percentage

Game notes​

• The Flying McDavids come to town to face the…Flying Geekies? Sure, why not? After all, if someone told you back in August that Morgan Geekie would have more goals than Connor McDavid when Edmonton visited TD Garden in December, you’d probably think they were flying high too.
• In more recent news, the McDavids are more about two other guys: Leon Draisaitl, who recorded his 1,000th NHL point in Tuesday’s win over Pittsburgh, and Tristan Jarry, the newly acquired goaltender.
• Draisaitl, of course, remains extremely good, so there’s really nothing new there. It’s pretty cool that his middle name is Tim.
• Jarry, however, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in what sure seemed like a lateral move (shipping out Stuart Skinner). The former Penguin has won his first two games as an Oiler, but he has allowed seven goals in those two games.
• If you want to laugh at some ridiculous numbers: McDavid has 14 points (yes, 6G-8A-14PTS) in his last five games. Draisaitl has 10 assists in that same span.
• The story has been kind of “same old Edmonton” for the Oilers this season: an elite offense but a leaky team defense, much of which can be pinned on goaltending. In a weird twist, their GF/G and GA/G are exactly the same at 3.41. I guess they’re just going to tie every game for the rest of the season. That’s how averages work.
• Shockingly, Edmonton has the league’s best power play at close to 33%. I know, who would have thought?
• Vladislav Kolyachonok, claimed off of waivers by the B’s earlier this week, skated with the team on Wednesday. No word yet on if/when he’ll make his debut for the Bruins, but Marco Sturm confirmed he was claimed to bring depth to the blue line amid a growing list of injuries.

See ya tonight!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2025-2026-game-coverage/57504/preview-here-come-the-oilers

 

[Boston Bruins]

Morning Skate: Starry

Sometimes the best player in world is just the best player in the world, eh?

While not quite a one-man show, Connor McDavid lifted the Oilers to a 3-1 win at TD Garden last night, helping Edmonton improve to six wins in their last eight games.

McDavid assisted on Edmonton’s first goal, then added a shorthanded goal in the third period to put it out of reach.

It wasn’t a terrible effort by the Bruins, more like “one of those games,” where things don’t quite go your way.

For his part, Marco Sturm was actually fine with his team’s play overall, just pointing to special teams play as being a bit of a letdown.

The lone goal they did score was of the highlight-reel variety, so that’s nice.

The win ended up being potentially problematic for the Oilers, as newly acquired Tristan Jarry left the game injured and didn’t return.

For the B’s, the “SELL EVERYTHING” Vancouver Canucks are coming to town next, with that one scheduled for 7 PM on Saturday night.

While the Canucks are fresh off of executing one of the biggest trades in franchise history, they’re actually winners of two games in a row, so…who knows.

Was Quinn Hughes The Problem??? MY COLUMN:

In other local hockey news, the Boston Fleet of the PWHL are off to a perfect start this season, posting a 5-0-0 record and outscoring opponents 13-2 in those games.

Yes, 13-2.

Those two goals help give goalie Aerin Frankel a stat line that looks like it can’t possibly be real, yet here we are:

There’s elite ….

And then there’s Aerin Frankel

Frankel has been giving a clinic on world class goaltending in her five starts this season. #BostonFleet #PWHL pic.twitter.com/lzrbW7bPq4

— Troiani Rink Report (@rinkreport38125) December 18, 2025

Is that good?

What else is on tap for today?

If you’re in the Boston area, unplug your Christmas inflatables before today’s/tonight’s gusty wind blows them up to Canada and beyond.

We don’t need Santa and Co. taking to the skies early, after all.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/morning-skate-open-threads/57514/morning-skate-starry

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: Bruins host streaking Canucks

Just the facts​

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective: Nucks Misconduct

Know your enemy​

• 14-17-3, 31PTS, last in the Pacific Division
• Elias Pettersson: 8G-14A-22PTS; Kiefer Sherwood: 16G-4A-20PTS; Conor Garland: 7G-12A-19PTS
• Kevin Lankinen: 4-10-3, 3.49 GAA, .878 save percentage

Game notes​

• Fresh off of a loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Bruins welcome another western Canadian team to TD Garden as the Vancouver Canucks come to town.
• While the highlight (lowlight?) of Vancouver’s season to date involved the Canucks shipping out their best player in Quinn Hughes, they’ve been playing better hockey of late: the Canucks are winners of three straight games.
• Vancouver actually played on Friday night, beating the New York Islanders, 4-1, on SCENIC Long Island. Kiefer Sherwood, a guy some reports indicate the Bruins are looking at, had a hat trick in that win.
• Former Boston College Eagle Thatcher Demko recently returned from injury, giving the Canucks a boost. He has won three games in a row, including last night’s game.
• David Kampf, who had his contract terminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this season after he decided he didn’t want to report to the AHL, signed with Vancouver after he became a free agent. He scored his first goal as a Canuck on Friday night.
• Former Bruin Jake DeBrusk is off to a so-so start this season for the Canucks, posting 9G-7A-16PTS totals in 34 games.

See ya tonight!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...e/57519/preview-bruins-host-streaking-canucks

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Canucks

Welcome to Saturday night, folks!

I hope you’ve had a decent weekend thus far. Don’t go too crazy trying to get all of that Christmas shopping done, you’ve got plenty of time…kind of.

The Bruins will be back at it again tonight, hosting the Vancouver Canucks.

After a decent effort but nothing to show for it on Thursday night, the B’s will be hoping for a better result this evening.

Bruins! Canucks! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57522/public-skate-bruins-vs-canucks

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Senators

Welcome to Sunday night, folks!

Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (which is the best hemisphere, in my opinion). That means it’s the shortest day of the year, so we can just pretend it’s been Sunday night all day.

Makes sense.

Anyways, the Bruins will host the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden tonight in their second-last game before Christmas.

The Senators have given the Bruins trouble this season, and the B’s are currently just three points ahead of Ottawa in the Atlantic.

Weirdly enough, this is the last time these two teams will play this season. Scheduling quirks, etc.

Bruins! Politicians!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57531/public-skate-bruins-vs-senators

 

[Boston Bruins]

Morning Skate: Extra

All good things come to an end, right?

For the Bruins, their once blemish-free record beyond regulation this season now has its first scuff, as the Vancouver Canucks beat the B’s in a shootout last night, 5-4.

It was a pretty entertaining game overall, with the B’s getting contributions from both down-the-lineup guys (goals from Andrew Peeke and Tanner Jeannot) and Morgan Geekie (of course).

However, it was Kevin Lankinen who stood tall in the shootout, stopping all seven Bruin attempts.

Per NHL.com, Lankinen has faced 51 shootout attempts in his career and allowed just six goals, a remarkable figure.

The NHL website also shared an interesting statistical note on Geekie: his goal was his 50th of the calendar year, making him the third Bruin to achieve that feat in the last four decades.

I’ll admit that prior to receiving the post-game email from the Bruins PR Team, I had completely forgotten that the B’s were playing again tonight.

They’ll play host to the Ottawa Senators — some basics below:

• The game will be at 7 PM, broadcast on NESN. For those who listen on the radio, take note: the radio broadcast will be on Country 102.5 FM, as the Patriots are playing on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Sunday Night Football).
• The Senators last played on Friday, a 6-4 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ottawa has won three games in a row and four of their last five.
• Since the last time these two teams played back on November 13, the Senators got captain Brady Tkachuk back from injury. He has 5G-6A-11PTS totals in ten games since returning.

There might not be a massive New England television audience for this one considering the Patriots game will be starting a little after 8, but this should still be a good divisional match-up.

We’ll have a game thread up this evening, but until then, discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/morning-skate-open-threads/57528/morning-skate-extra

 

[Boston Bruins]

Bruins RECAP: Defense short-circuits in 6-2 Loss to Ottawa

A night best described as “enlightening”.

1st Period​

Things started poorly.

Very.

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Very.

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VERY poorly for the Bruins.

On the Bright side, David Pastrnak uncorked a missile to avoid the B’s getting shut out.

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The Period ended with a score of 3-1

2nd Period​

Things did not improve, as the Sens remained embedded in the B’s offensive zone, and it only continued to get worse from there.

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Sheesh.

At least Charlie McAvoy got himself a goal!

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Good stuff, Chuck!

Anyway back to suffering. Fabian Zetterlund, feel free to do the honors.

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Thanks, I only want to cry a lot.

3rd Period​

There was penalties! There was punching!

But that doesn’t count towards the score, no matter how much the drunk guy in the rafters says it should.

The Bruins lose 6-2.

Game Notes​

• Your TOI leader was Charlie McAvoy, who logged 21:59 tonight.
• By just number of shot attempts, this was a fairly even game. The big difference was two-fold; shot danger and goaltenders. The Ottawa Senators basically founded a town in the offensive zone, and specifically the highest danger portion of the ice, and the Bruins backcheck just did not respond to it in any way; shape or form. If they did, it was largely in the form of impotent struggling, which did not help for much of anything. I understand if fans happen to like individual parts of the blueline (and definitely get it if you don’t), but the whole thing needs a hard upgrade or two because certain individuals on this team, and it is not just the whipping boy, need to be playing down a pairing at most. It was the crushing lack of ability to get the puck out of the zone that failed them tonight as it’s failed them the last few times they’ve played Ottawa.
• It is a little darkly funny that Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak together are now just the lifeblood of the Bruins offense. Sometimes the depth will have their days, but it really is just Pasta and Geeks out on an island while the rest of the team plays catchup.
• Charlie McAvoy got his first goal of the year and not a minute too soon, though it’s a little odd since he has rebounded in terms of offensive on-ice impact pretty significantly, so I am a little surprised he’s taken this long to get there. Still, happy birthday, Chuckie.
• I wanted to wait on this because he’s been hurt so often but man…Hampus Lindholm is struggling badly. He had some pretty gruesome shifts this game and was not ready for what Ottawa was bringing. I do like what he brings in terms of mobility, but it’s clear there’s some rust that’s set in a little deeper than anyone would like with his game.
• While I have enjoyed the season a lot more than last year, I do think it’s important to remember this team is still re-tooling. This isn’t like year two of Hagens and Zellers being on the team and putting up with their teething troubles; this is a team that was anticipated to be very bad and analytically is already pretty bad punching above it’s weight thanks to the game-warping talent it does have, and we should enjoy that! But the expectations need to be tempered. This team is deeply flawed and needs serious upgrading, and no amount of win streaks or positive play is going to deviate that path.
• That said, I will say it’s good that just about every Bruin came out of that deeply unhappy about how they played it. If there’s one unambiguous positive about Sturm’s system, you can tell the buy-in is nearly universal, which means when they deviate from it they know it and own it.
• The Joonas Korpisalo experiment seems to be, as Ty Anderson on social media pointed out, beginning to mirror the 2016-17 season. If you don’t remember, the B’s started a bit slow, and Anton Khudobin, who’d otherwise been a perfectly fine backup, had sort of gone into this very annoying rhythm of having a strong game buffered between two sub-.900 ones, and it was like that with every game. That led to Tuukka Rask taking on way too many starts, and thus wearing him out quicker than they’d hoped, especially when Zane McIntyre turned out to not be the goalie of the future. The parallels are there…and frankly, I don’t care for them. Korpi has to be better. He just has to be.
  • Though in fairness, there’s only so much you can do when the Sens basically can’t not have a dangerous shot. Help your damn goalie, man.
• But hey! Jimmy Hagens and Will Zellers had a pretty good night in the prelims for the WJC! That’ll be fun to start watching!
• Thank f!#king god we don’t have to see this team for the rest of the season. The rest of the dorks in the Atlantic can deal with that.

---

The B’s have one more game before the holiday, and it is a big one; Montreal on the night before the night before Christmas. That game starts at 7pm EST.

We’ll see you there!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...-defense-short-circuits-in-6-2-loss-to-ottawa

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Canadiens

Welcome to Rivalry Night, folks! Well, kind of.

For the first time in a while, the Bruins and Canadiens are jockeying for position in the standings and had some fireworks in their last match-up, so we could be in for some entertainment tonight.

Or, the slumping Bruins could lay another egg. Who knows?

Hopefully you have your Christmas shopping in a good place. If not, good luck out there tomorrow.

Bruins! Canadiens! Hockey! On ice! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57560/public-skate-bruins-vs-canadiens

 

[Boston Bruins]

Recap: Lack of discipline sinks B’s in 6-2 loss to Montreal

Just two days before Christmas, the slumping Bruins delivered a heaping helping of coal in your stocking.

The B’s allowed four Montreal goals in the third period en route to a convincing 6-2 loss, the fourth in a row for the home team.

It was a 2-2 game at the start of the third period, with the two teams trading chances until about midway through, when the wheels fell off for the Bruins.

The Canadiens took a 3-2 lead when a broken Nikita Zadorov stick led to a Zachary Bolduc goal; things got worse when the B’s challenged the goal, lost the challenge, then took another penalty, then…yeah.

Good times!

Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves scored the goals for the Bruins, who dropped down t0 6th in the Atlantic with the loss.

Sammy Blais got the scoring started with a bad angle shot midway through the first, making it 1-0 Canadiens. Jeremy Swayman would probably like that one back.

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Khusnutdinov tied the game just over a minute later off of a great Mason Lohrei pass, making it a 1-1 game.

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The Bruins took the lead with just 18 seconds left in the first when Steeves wired a wrister for a PPG, making it 2-1 Bruins.

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In a sign of the comedy of errors to come, miscommunication between Zadorov and Pastrnak led to an Ivan Demidov breakaway, and…yeah. 2-2 game.

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The Bruins appeared to take the lead with under ten seconds left in the second period, only to have the goal waved off for goalie interference. You be the judge:

Quelle action litigeuse. Le but de Elias Lindholm est refusé car David Pastrňák aurait initié le contact avec Slafkovský qui provoque une interférence. Bad call.pic.twitter.com/PiMpqgn1r8

— Florian (@Bruintherhood) December 24, 2025

After that…nothing good. Shades of the Carolina game last season as Zadorov’s stick breaks and the puck ends up in the Bruins’ net. 3-2 Montreal.

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The Bruins would end up with a delay of game penalty for losing that challenge, only for Tanner Jeannot to take a cross-checking penalty shortly thereafter.

The Habs had a stick-break go their way again, as a broken stick turned into a perfect pass to Cole Caufield, who, to quote Jack Edwards, put Jeremy Swayman in the torture chamber. 4-2 Montreal.

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With Hampus Lindholm off for tripping, Montreal would score again with a two-man advantage, making it 5-2 Montreal.

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Mon dieu. Stop the fight! Juraj Slafkovsky would score a couple of minutes later to add insult to injury.

6-2, Bruins lose.

Game notes​

• Yikes! Where to begin? The Bruins needed a bounce-back effort to stop the bleeding after some weak showings against Vancouver and Ottawa. They certainly didn’t get it tonight (at least not for the full 60 minutes).
• Marco Sturm has pushed the right buttons plenty of times this season, but the decision to challenge the Bolduc goal was a bad one. There was minimal contact from Nick Suzuki, and it’d be a significant stretch to claim it prevented him from stopping the puck on the follow-up. It’s unfair to blame that challenge for the resulting carnage, but it certainly didn’t help.
• To add to that point, Sturm would have been better off challenging the non-goal at the end of the second. It’s hard to have those calls overturned when they’re “no goal” on the ice, but in that case, even if you lose, you have a chance to reset during the intermission and come out fresh on the PK. Instead…yeah.
• Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson both had three-point nights for Montreal, with each recording three assists.
• Similar to the game in Montreal, the Bruins handed the Habs a whopping seven power plays tonight. Their PK bailed them out in that game, killing all seven; tonight, they allowed two PPGs.
• If nothing else, this game added a little more fuel to the fire between these two teams, with a fight three seconds into the game (Jeannot vs. Josh Anderson), then another one midway through the first (Zadorov vs. Arber Xhekaj.
• Vladislav Kolyachonok skated 10:35 in his Bruins debut, lowest among Bruins defenders by far. The second lowest blue-liner, Lohrei, skated more than six minutes more than the Belarusian.

What else can you say? Ugly! That’s now four losses in a row and five of six for the Bruins.

While the Vancouver game was back-and-forth, the last two haven’t been particularly close when the buzzer sounded.

The B’s enter Christmas out of the playoff picture and just a point ahead of the Buffalo Sabres, who have won seven in a row.

After the Christmas break, the Bruins first game will be against those same Sabres, at what’s sure to be a charged arena in Buffalo.

Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy the holiday, or the Wednesday/Thursday if you don’t celebrate.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...f-discipline-sinks-bs-in-6-2-loss-to-montreal

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: Montreal comes to town for a pre-Christmas showdown

Just the facts​

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective: Habs Eyes on the Prize

Know your enemy​

• 19-12-5, 43PTS, 3rd in the Atlantic Division
• Nick Suzuki: 10G-30A-40PTS; Cole Caufield: 17G-18A-35PTS; Lane Hutson: 5G-27A-32PTS
• Jakub Dobes: 12-5-3, 2.90 GAA, .903 save percentage

Game notes​

• The Bruins and Canadiens renew acquaintances at TD Garden tonight, with the Bruins looking to end a recent skid and the Canadiens looking to avenge a home loss to the B’s back in November.
• That game was a pretty entertaining affair, featuring two fights, a handful of roughing penalties, and the Bruins going a remarkable 7-for-7 on the penalty kill. It’d be ideal to NOT try that last part again tonight, but I guess we’ll see.
• As one last note on the last meeting between these two teams, that game was the first time in a while that there’s been some juice in this historic rivalry. The fact that it was on a Saturday night in Montreal certainly didn’t hurt, but it’ll be interesting to see if the animosity carries over.
• The Bruins and Canadiens are pretty evenly matched in terms of team stats. The Bruins and Canadiens (respectively) have the 7th and 6th ranked power plays, 9th and 8th best GF/G rates, and 24th and 22nd GA/G figures. It makes sense, then that they’re only separated by two points in the Atlantic.
• Montreal lost to Pittsburgh last time out, 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday.
• While I listed Jakub Dobes in the stats section above, Jacob Fowler is expected to start for Montreal tonight. The former Boston College Eagle had his first NHL shutout on Saturday night.
• The Canadiens reacquired forward Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings last week. No official word yet (that I’ve seen), but he’ll likely make his return to the Habs lineup tonight.
• Charlie McAvoy was injured last time these two teams played, and if you feel like reading about canker sores and undercooked fish, Fluto Shinzawa has an interesting piece in The Athletic on McAvoy’s post-surgery recovery.

See ya tonight!

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...al-comes-to-town-for-a-pre-christmas-showdown

 

[Boston Bruins]

2025-26 World Junior Championships PRIMER: Everything you need to know!

Just the Facts​

• What is it?: Teenager hockey at the highest level being played in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada!
• When is it?: The games start December 26th, and the medal round begins just after New Year’s Day on the 2nd.
• Where can I watch it?: TSN in Canada, NHLN in the states, apparently TUBI will also have it if you stream your hockey.
• Who’s the defending champs?: The United States, who is going for a threepeat this year!
• Why should I care?: Why, you get to see the NHL stars of tomorrow face off for World Juniors glory! Gavin McKenna gets to wow you before he even gets the chance to play for an NHL team! Also it’s pretty inoffensive hockey that people get super wound up over while you’re puttering around the house during the holidays, so there aught to be some good yucks at certain fanbases (read: Canada’s) expense. Also, the relegation round is always a fun treat for those who want to see imperfect, desperate hockey, a personal favorite of mine.

Bruins Prospects at the World Juniors​

• Team USA: James Hagens, Will Zellers
• Team Czechia: Vashek Blanar

Group Previews​

Group A – Freedom Fries​

• By this point, if you read enough of these, you know Team USA’s deal; hero hockey. Fart around for 40 minutes, win in the last 20. Given the talent they control at this point, they could probably get it up to 55 minutes and still win with those last 5 minutes. Their roster being headlined by James Hagens, Will Zellers, Cole Eiserman, one of the spare Hutsons we have kicking around, and a stout defense that ticks all the boxes. Defensive specialists? Blake Fiddler and EJ Emery are right there. Dynamic offense types? Chase Reid and Cole Hutson. If there’s any real concern, it’s that they do not have Trey Augustine in net anymore as he’s aged out of the World Juniors picture. Of the three the States brought to the tournament, AJ Reyelts has played the most and has the best record, but Caleb Heil has slightly better performance on the USHL, and Nicholas Kempf has played against better competition (or at least older competition) in the NCAA. That question should probably be figured out by the time the games start, but it will be a concern lingering. Of course, if they gotta boat race, Team USA has made it clear they are more than willing to pull that kind of game together. The Group and the Tournament are for the Americans to lose until proven otherwise.
• One must imagine Sweden happy, because once again they should be set up to be a powerhouse…and it might shock you to learn that nobody is concerned because they have to get past the US and then will have to beat Canada or Finland in order to get the Gold Medal they so desperately crave. There’s just no winning for them unless they win it all, and that will be tough. In the round robin they usually do pretty well, and their roster this year is once again damn good; Sascha Boumedienne, Loke Krantz, Ivar Stenburg, Anton Frondell, with decent netminders in Goos and Härenstam suggests they will be just as good as they usually are. Problem is, we know that. We know they will likely cruise to another Group top or close to it. Then they have to play in the elimination round. Tre Kronor’s biggest issue remains that elimination round play, and who knows if this version of Sweden can survive it. I’m pretty sure they can…they just have to, you know…do it.
• Slovakia remains interested in proving they are A) Not Mad about Juraj Slafkovsky’s comments that suggest the federation is indolent, and B) You can ignore their considerable interest in buddying up to the Russian Federation because they’re A-Okay, baby. Slovakia unfortunately does have some issues facing them coming into the tourney: their 2023 class has aged out entirely, and a vast majority of their team is so, so young. In some cases that may benefit them, as there’s less tape on these kids and the ones who they do have tape on are pretty good. For most however…well, they don’t have the same caliber of player they used to in a division where Sweden and the US are, and they usually had a good chance to beat the US up ‘till now. They’re going to have to hope Michal Pradel can hold the fort long enough for guys like Michal Capos, Jan Chovan, and Michal Svrcek can get these youngsters moving like they can. I don’t think they’re necessarily worse than the rest of their division, but I certainly wouldn’t put them any higher than 3rd unless Pradel starts doing 3rd eye goaltending.
• Here’s the thing: by all accounts, Germany should be in trouble. Their defense is kind of awkward and not especially noteworthy, and they’re banking on a WHL goalie to be their rock in net. That is a rock I think they could trust in spurts here or there, but maybe not all the way. Why I think they escape relegation this year is that Die Eismannschaft is more offensively gifted than Switzerland; especially up front. Max Penkin, Max Schafer, and David Lewandowski have all found great success this year in Canadian Junior/DEL play, and zee Germans might have something in brothers Timo and Fabio Kose, who play different positions but have shown great flashes of talent against grown-ass men in the DEL. Against players their own age? They may yet shine. Veillard, while I don’t necessarily trust an .890 SV% goalie, is a vet for this squad, and I imagine they will rally around him.
• It breaks my heart to suggest Switzerland may end up on the relegation block this year, I have loved their fundamentals only, no funny business kind of hockey for years, but ultimately the level of talent at the WJC is improving, and so far the Swiss have failed to meet the moment. It stinks especially because they do have interesting talent! They have

Group B – Goo Goo Baby division for Canada​

• After Canada publicly embarrassed themselves last year and the year before, The True North appear to have taken a much more humble approach to the World Juniors of casually bringing everyone who is good and available to the World Juniors. Even better, the omissions this year were largely because the Pacific teams that they were signed to still want them to be on the roster, and thus can’t justify assigning them. Even better than that, Group B is about as easy a division as you could ask for if Canada really is as built up as they say they are…which is what I would say, had Gavin McKenna not made it clear that he’s prone to error as much as anyone else, and Sweden doesn’t even have to play Canada until a hypothetical medal round. In general, a lot rides on Canada right now. They’ve been slipping badly over the past few tourneys and have turned “underdog gets first win over Canada” into an almost yearly spectacle. Regardless of how you feel about their place in the sport, Canada in the tourneys that count does not have the luxury of expecting to be good anymore. In short, they need to run away with this one and quickly, or we are once again going to start a dialogue about the decision-making corps for the Red and White (and sometimes black).
• Finland’s effort in the early parts of this tournament have always been a bit slow; especially with their proclivity for penalties, so don’t be surprised if they look like they’re in trouble to start out. What they are however, is in a very weird place. They’re without Konsta Helenius; their current premiere prospect of World Juniors age, and as such are going to need to adjust to life without him. They’re not screwed by a long shot, but now they need to focus down on other talents to help them out. In net, as per usual, they will have a murderer’s row of good goalies to choose from; Kim Saarinen and Petteri Rimpinen will once again be their rock in net, allowing talents like Julius Miettinen, Emil Hemming, Matias Vanhanen, and Max Westergard to do what they usually do best; cause a ruckus on the boards, rip off a solid pass, and score goals. Losing Helenius however means they lose a level of dynamism that would have otherwise given them an edge against the Group leader once we get to that point on the calendar. Still, the Finns always find a way to drag teams down to their level, so while Canada might get the edge on them to start, they always find a way to crawl back in and make you regret it. Also, Rimpinen has the coolest pads in this tournament. Bar none.
• Czechia has traditionally been an offense or bust kind of team; one that’s free-wheeling and fun if a little chaotic. That chaos allowed them to be Bronze Medalists at last year’s tourney. Is that gonna change? Maybe! Granted, they still have plenty of impressive and fun forwards they can call on to make their brand of frantic and fun hockey work, but now they’ll have an extra hand from the backend; they’ve decided to bring Radim Mrtka, Jakub Fibigr, Vashek Blanar, and Adam Jiricek to the dance, and from the skaters alone it seems like Czechia plans to survive this tourney through blistering offense.
• Latvia has the benefit of their upset win over Canada to allow them to survive through this tournament. That’s probably what’s going to get them through this tournament entirely because otherwise Latvia has lost a lot of the talent that made them so special last year. They will have to rely on the work of players who’ve spent a lot of time abroad: Roberts Naudins has been tearing it up for Shattuck St. Marys Prep, Daniels Serkins has been doing great for SC Bern in Switzerland, and of course; the Latvians have their wunderkind; Alberts Smits, who is projected to be a first round pick this year. They do have a team attitude and game plan that usually makes them a lot tougher to play than you might expect, but they also tend to need their goalies to be lights out. Of the three they brought; Nils Roberts Maurins would likely have to play way above his paygrade to keep them in games. Otherwise, their tournament will be as per usual; passionate fans, painful results.
• There are going to be players on Denmark with more middle names than goals this year. Have fun playing Switzerland in the knockout round!

What’s the Schedule like?​

It looks like this! The games begin on December 26th, and the Elimination round begins on January 2nd.

Good luck to all Bruins prospects in the tournament, and GO FOR GOLD!​

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...mpionships-primer-everything-you-need-to-know

 

[Boston Bruins]

Morning Skate: Skid

Monday is upon us, and welcome to Christmas Week! Merry, joyful, peaceful, etc.

The Bruins are now officially in a mini slump, dropping their third game in a row last night, with all three of those losses coming on home ice.

The Senators breezed to a far-too-comfortable 6-2 win, with the TD Garden crowd voicing their disapproval at the end of the shellacking.

The loss also torpedoed what was supposed to be a night off for Jeremy Swayman, who was pressed into service after Joonas Korpisalo got pulled.

Sunday’s loss followed a decent, but uneven, effort against Vancouver on Friday, so the B’s aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders heading towards the holiday break.

Their next game, the last before Christmas, will be against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

While the standings at Christmas are more symbolic than anything else, the Habs are currently two points ahead of the Bruins in the Atlantic, so a win tomorrow night would be a nice way to head into the break.

Elsewhere around the league, Sidney Crosby was the headliner this weekend as he passed Mario Lemieux for first place on Pittsburgh’s all-time scoring chart.

Crosby has 1,724 points in his career, good for 8th in NHL history, which is pretty good, I think.

In a true sign of the apocalypse, the current hottest team in the NHL is…the Buffalo Sabres???????

Yes, the Sabres are winners of six games in a row and seven of their last ten, lifting them out of the basement and positioning them just three points out of a wild card spot.

Dare to dream, Buffalo.

Lastly, the Maple Leafs lost their third game in a row over the weekend, leaving them second-worst in the Eastern Conference.

They’ll probably turn it around at some point, but for now, we can all laugh at the Leafs.

What’s on tap for today?

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/morning-skate-open-threads/57551/morning-skate-skid

 

[Boston Bruins]

Preview: Bruins return to action to face the surging Sabres

Just the facts​

• When: Tonight, 7 PM
• Where: KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
• How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
• Opposing perspective: Die by the Blade

Know your enemy​

• 18-14-4, 40PTS, 7th in the Atlantic Division
• Tage Thompson: 18G-14A-32PTs; Alex Tuch: 11G-19A-30PTS; Rasmus Dahlin: 4G-24A-28PTS
• Alex Lyon: 9-6-3, 2.87 GAA, .907 save percentage

Game notes​

• The Bruins return from their brief holiday break to face the NHL’s hottest team: the Buffalo Sabres? Yes, the Buffalo Sabres, winners of seven games in a row heading into the break.
• The Sabres’ recent run of form has lifted them out of the basement and firmly into wild card contention, as they currently sit two points behind Florida (albeit with several teams in between) and a point behind the Bruins.
• The inspiration for the streak? Not a healthier lineup or more solid play. It can all be attributed to the lifting of the Kevyn Adams Curse (plus those two other things). The Athletic also cites more consistent scoring contributions from up and down the lineup, which never hurts.
• Buffalo struggled through three straight losses to begin his season, then followed that up with a five-game losing streak in November. Those two streaks accounted for half of their regulation losses.
• These two teams played one another at TD Garden back on October 11, a 3-1 win for the Bruins.
• For the Bruins, it’s hard to know what to expect tonight. Was the recent skid a sign of fatigue? The impending doom of goaltending regression? Bad luck? I guess we’ll find out.
• As we saw in the Montreal game (and others during this recent run), the Bruins really, really, really need to stop shooting themselves in the collective foot with all of the penalties. Buffalo has an average power play, but it’d behoove the Bruins to not do dumb things tonight. You’re welcome for that insightful game plan.
• While the Bruins’ goaltending has faltered in recent games, Alex Lyon has been lights out for the Sabres. He has won his last five starts and also earned a win in a relief appearance back on December 9.
• The Sabres have the league’s second-best penalty kill, checking in at 84.5%.

Will the Bruins be feeling more merry after Christmas? Will there be post-holiday blues?

TIME WILL TELL.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...s-return-to-action-to-face-the-surging-sabres

 

[Boston Bruins]

Public Skate: Bruins vs. Sabres

Welcome back from the brief Christmas break, folks!

Hopefully you’ve had yourself a good few days as we wallow in the no-man’s-land portion of the calendar between Christmas and New Year’s.

The Bruins will have no more time to wallow, as they jump back into the fray against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres.

Bruins! Sabres! On ice!

Discuss.

Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/gameday-open-threads/57611/public-skate-bruins-vs-sabres