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Bruins @ Vegas RECAP: Dorofeyev has hat trick in listless 5-1 LOSS

Boston Bruins v Vegas Golden Knights

Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images

Another game, another performance you’d rather forget from the Boston Bruins.

Game 82 can’t come soon enough.

First Period​


Actually, not much happened.

Mark Stone tripped Johnny Beecher, and the B’s couldn’t capitalize on it, so uh...yeah, let’s move on to the hell periods.

Hell Period the 1st: Dorofeyev brings a great pain on the Bruins fanbase​


Pavel Dorofeyev, in case you hadn’t heard, is a really damn good player.

As if to make this point painfully clear, the Bruins had a penalty kill that was truly shambolic, and Dorofeyev was given a clear path to Swayman, and put a wrister home to open the scoring...

...and then finished off the period in the waning minutes by receiving a slick pass from Alex Pietrangelo to wire it past Swayman a second time.

The period ended with Boston down 2-0 after 40 minutes.

Hell Period the 2nd: Crowning Agonies​


After having their now leading goalscorer lead the way, other Vegas players decided to prey on Boston’s inadequacies, such as Brett Howden, who was the beneficiary of a 3-on-1, and the prime shooter on another one timer that beat Jeremy Swayman. 3-0...

Pavel Dorofeyev immediately realized he could have a hat trick, and went out and made that dream a reality by taking a bobbled puck on Jeremy Swayman and roofing it on the down-and-out goaltender, sealing his 30th goal of the season in style. The rest of the skaters on Boston could do little but watch. 4-0...

Then Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel took their turn victimizing Boston’s stone skates and tired legs, with a 2-on-1 chance that became an atrociously easy score. 5-0...

Mercifully, the Knights were kind enough to surrender a goal to Morgan Geekie in the final 3 minutes of play as David Pastrnak set him up for a golden opportunity. 5-1.

5-1 Golden Knights your final score, Bruins lose.

Game Notes​

  • The Bruins showed up to this game with about as little energy as you can bring while still actually shooting the puck...at least, for a little while, then they settled into being just another passive participant in this game. It wasn’t just that they were having trouble shooting, that’s somewhat expected at this point, it’s that they were so lifeless while doing it. It made the Knights’ jobs as easy as an NHL game can be.
  • The Bruins failed to reach 20 shots on goal for the third game in a row. That’s the first time since they started tracking the stat of “Shots on goal” that the franchise has “achieved” this. They’ve also lost 14 games by 4 or more goals, which has only been matched by the 1965–66 Boston Bruins, who finished their 70 game season with a record of 21-43-6.
  • Was Jeremy Swayman bad tonight? Sure! I would call an .884 SV% pretty darn bad, but if there’s any fairness to be extended to him...do you think Korpisalo could do better when A) the other team is just swinging one timers from one side of the ice to the other with near impunity, and B) his own team chose to do next to nothing at all situations across a 60 minute hockey game?
  • At this point, I’m all in on checking Tankathon near nightly. If the Bruins want to sell anything, they need to start selling hope.
  • David Pastrnak is gonna have 90 something points at the end of this year and he will not make the playoffs. That should be grounds for an ass-kicking.
  • The Bruins are currently set to be 9th overall in the draft over if there was no lottery, and Bob McKenzie’s 9th overall prospect eligible for the draft is Jack O’Brien. Here’s some highlights for you.

Boston continues their little western conference road trip against a team that’s been eliminated from the playoffs; the San Jose Sharks. That game drops the puck at 10:30pm EST.

Let’s hope for a better result on Saturday.

See you there.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...-dorofeyev-has-hat-trick-in-listless-5-1-loss
 
Public Skate: Bruins vs. Sharks

Boston Bruins v San Jose Sharks

Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images

Late, late night hockey!

Look, it’s Joe Pavelski and Patrice Bergeron!

That photo is from 2007, and it certainly feels like the Bruins are a world away from that era at this point.

(Though 2007 wasn’t exactly the Glory Days either.)

Anyways, it’s the Bruins! It’s the Sharks! It’s...a very, very late game for us folks on the East Coast.

I think you can be forgiven if you decide the catch the highlights of this one on Sunday morning, but as long as you’re up for it, we’re here too.

Maybe the Bruins can manage more than 20 shots on goal tonight? Nah, let’s not get carried away.

Discuss.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...uins-vs-sharks-bruins-talk-online-bruins-news
 
Bruins @ Kings PREVIEW: Angels Don’t Kill

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Boston Bruins

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Kings and the Bruins meet up after Boston has lost one of the more gruesome games they’ve ever played.

Just the Facts​

  • The Time: 9pm EST
  • The Place: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
  • Place to Watch: NESN, FDSNW, SportsNet, TVAS
  • Place to Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Know Your Enemy​

  • The Kings are 38-21-9, which is good for 3rd in the Pacific Division standings, and 6th in the Western Conference.
  • Adrian Kempe has become an old grizzled vet at this point, and he seems to have slotted into the position of role model for these young guns perfectly, with a team-leading 56 points in 68 games. He also has the team lead in goals with 29 in that same stretch of time.
  • Anze Kopitar sits right behind Kempe in terms of points, with 55 in 68 games played.
  • The Kings’ goaltending has gone thorugh some names as the season’s gone on and injuries have reared their heads, but it seems like LA has settled once again on Darcy Kuemper and Dave Rittich as their tandem now that the dust has settled. Rittich played yesterday against Carolina, so it looks like Kuemper will get the call to face Boston; He has a .919 SV% in 40 games played.

Game Preview​


Well, last night sure was a hockey game. Two teams definitely competed against one another for meaningless points in the standings.

Anyway, let’s talk about this one.

The LA Kings are coming into this one a near total opposite of the Sharks. The Kings may have inklings of wanting to do something unimaginably dumb with their roster every so often, but they’ve turned into an otherwise perfectly strong NHL team that once again is a possession juggernaut, a routine threat to drop goal after goal after goal on their opponent, and are even bringing back a little bit of speed from guys like Quentin Byfield and Alex Laferriere. Getting Andrei Kuzmenko into the mix seems to have only improved this squad who’s vibes certainly seem to be as bright and sunny as the city of angels in May. They even just put a real statement game together against the Carolina Hurricanes with a 7-goal performance.

Boston, meanwhile, struggled to be a shot creation leader against the worst team in the league.

To say Boston might be the Underdog is underselling it a bit.

If there’s hope, it’s that Boston played a really sedate game and the Kings spent a ton of energy scoring goal after goal after goal. Back-to-Backs are rough on both teams, regardless of who has the momentum coming in, and so it may end up being that the Bruins need to take advantage of tired legs that have little but playoff position to play for at this point if they want to come out the victor.

If there’s anything I want out of this game, it’s unquestionably a better performance than what we got out of the Sharks game. That was just pathetic and embarassing. I just want more than a goal and a lot of empty cardio out of these Bruins; I want them to scare a team or two.

Because the end of the season is still miles to go, and we’ve got a good long while ‘till April 15th.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...-tv-radio-times-boston-los-angeles-hockey-nhl
 
Bruins @ Kings GAMETHREAD

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Boston Bruins

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Let’s get after it.

Welcome to Sunday night, and welcome back to the Bruins.

The NHL really is a funny league. It’s also a very long one, so strap in, because the next few weeks could really be a painful experience. At least the Providence Bruins seem to be pulling together a lovely little season down in Rhode Island. We may get to do a Providence Playoff preview! That’d be fun!

Also, I scheduled this in the afternoon so we could have a gamethread that also serves as a public skate. Enjoy.

Anyway, what’s on tap?
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2025/3/23/24392101/bruins-kings-gamethread
 
Bruins @ Kings RECAP: Endless Pain in 7-2 Loss

Boston Bruins v Los Angeles Kings

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

The Kings sentenced the Bruins to 1000 years of agony in a complete asskicking

The road goes on forever, and the bleeding only stops when you’re dead.

First Period​


Boston strikes first with Elias Lindholm taking a Cole Koepke pass that found him completely unattended by the Kings, who put the Bruins up 1-0!

This turned out to be the punch in the mouth the Kings needed to wake up, and what happened next wasn’t pretty.

It started with Anze Kopitar receiving a long pass from Adrian Kempe, was able to get around the Bruins’ defense, and get Swayman down and out to tie things up with a backhander. 1-1 Everybody...

...Which set up yet another last minute of the period goal-against as Warren Foegele took a completely uncontested pass to get a tip-in shot while four Bruins just kind of watched Philip Danault, who had just whiffed on a scoring chance where he would’ve also been nearly uncontested, to make 2-1 Kings just before the beginning of the 2nd period.

2nd Period​


Morgan Geekie breathed a little life into the Bruins, with a key keep-in from Pavel Zacha after both Boston and LA bobbled the puck at the Blueline, allowing him to make a pass straight up the gut to get an easy goal in front of Kuemper. 2-2 Everybody.

And then...the rest of the game happened.

Drew Doughty takes an unattended rebound from a Swayman save and hammers it home, 3-2 Kings...

Then Andrei Kuzmenko skulked the zone as what had to have been the 30th or 40th stretch pass that was never stopped by a player in Black and Gold found purchase as Adrien Kempe set Kuzmenko up for a golden opportunity. 4-2 Kings.

Also, Jeremy Swayman and Darcy Kuemper almost fought, but the linesmen stepped in to stop it before anything happened.

Very funny. Let them go, they’re in enough armor that they can’t really hurt each other or even land decent blows.

Anyway, on to the end.

Third Period​


The Kings just victimized Boston at this point.

First up, was Quentin Byfield, who took an Alex Laferriere pass from a block who had to recover quickly to get it off his stick, and Byfield effectively split the D and wired the puck past Swayman blocker-side.

Next, it was Tanner Jeannot’s turn, as he tipped a Brandt Clarke shot from the point straight past Swayman.

Finally, Samuel Helenius, a relative newbie on the Kings, got his second NHL goal as he managed to go five hole on Jeremy Swayman.

Bruins lose 7-2.

The Charts from NaturalStatTrick to give you an idea of just how bad an asskicking this really was.​


Game Notes​

  • The Bruins have been exposed a number of times this year for how their game is just not capable of hanging with the best of the best of the best of the league. Some of it is talent, some of it has been effort, and some of it is strategy failing to bring out the best in their players. This game got a little bit of everything exposed at once; the Defense is big and slow and can be beaten easily with stretch passes as they have to take extra effort to stay ahead of the play, there’s individually skilled players who can affect positive change on the ice but they rarely play at once and are bogged down by other forwards who don’t have that same level of skill, and if they do not get an A average minimum performance out of their one star, they’re toast. Oh yeah, and neither of their goalies are good enough to make up the difference right now. This was the asskicking they deserved against a team that gave the Bruins a good hard look at what the modern playoff team in the NHL looks like. Again.
  • Fabian Lysell once again led the team in possession stats, but he was one of only three or four skaters to get even close to breaking even in any relevant category. This is the fourth time in five games that the Boston Bruins have failed to get 20 shots or more in an entire game. This team is either out of gas, out of shooters, out of luck, or all three. Frankly, I don’t know which option is worse.
  • Jeremy Swayman should’ve been allowed to fight Darcy Kuemper. I don’t care if we gotta protect our goalies, the fact that they’re wearing something like 15 pounds of plastic and foam armor means they’re not throwing any punches that might result in a knockout. They’ll be fine.
  • Regarding Swayman’s performance? It was bad! It was very bad! Was every goal against him bad? Not all of them, he did have to contend with his defense getting worked like a punch press on every single stretch pass the Kings tried, but this was a really rough performance for a guy set to be your #1 for the forseeable future.
  • A 25 goal season for Morgan Geekie. Regardless of their decision on him at the end of the season; he will have been a lone bright spot in an ocean of ink. Good for him.
  • Sacco must have been told that this is a “Michael Misa at bare minimum” kind of time for the Boston Bruins, because another goal he could’ve had a reasonable chance of winning a challenge on went unaddressed. The message is now crystal clear to the players; you are on your own to figure this out. The coaches will only set the lines, and they will not try to spark anything with a goalie change even if the situation might call for it. Also probably heralds that he is G O N E once the season is over.
  • Don really should’ve taken a stab at getting Brandt Clarke. He isn’t a perfect player by any means but he’s certainly a bit more heads-up than some of these defenders they’ve been trotting out recently.
  • We miss you Charlie and Hampus. I swear to god we didn’t know how bad it would get.
  • Y’know for as much as 2 of the 3 California teams aren’t very good, it certainly feels like that early 2010’s magic is slowly seeping back into those franchises again. Who knows, maybe we’ll see how they do against Anaheim.

The Boston Bruins take a couple of days off to go lick their wounds in SoCal, and then go to Anaheim to take on the Ducks on Wednesday. That game drops the puck at 10pm.

We’ll see you then. Thanks for suffering through this.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...-kings-nhl-swayman-kuemper-hockey-fight-recap
 
Bruins @ Sharks RECAP: Boston chooses their L in 3-1 Loss

Boston Bruins v San Jose Sharks

Photo by Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images

While the decider game late, the Bruins ultimately went against trying to challenge it in a very boring game.

[snoring]

huh, what? Oh yeah. Game’s over, they lost, it wasn’t fun.

First Period​


Not much! This was a low event game played by two very low event teams.

The difference is that the Sharks have Macklin Celebrini and like three swedish kids who might turn out to be something.

Second Period​


Oh yeah! Scoring!

The Sharks got on the board first, with a William Eklund goal from a cross ice pass that left him effectively one on one with Korpisalo, and he cashed in. 1-0 Sharks.

Then, later on in the period; Casey Mittelstadt was the beneficiary of Alex Georgiev’s baubled pass that was bounced away from the Sharks defense and gave him probably the easiest goal he’s scored all year. 1-1 Everybody!

And it’s on to the third!

Third Period​


Oh boy...

This game went a long time without either side getting much of a scoring chance, and finally the Bruins surrendered goal #3 of the game on an extended zone-time sequence that found Lucas Carlsson alone in the slot, and he got a slick backhander off to beat Korpisalo high. 2-1 Sharks.

They pulled Korpi, and I think you can guess where they were from there. Barclay Goodrow empty netter. 3-1 Sharks.

3-1 Sharks win.

Game Notes​

  • Your TOI Leader was Nikita Zadorov, who finished with 23:22 logged.
  • Like...do you want analysis of this? Because it’s roughly been the last few weeks in a nutshell. The fact it took the Bruins this long to even try and take control of this snorefest of a game just tells you everything you need to know. If the Vegas game was an asskicking, this was clearly a team with only a few players with a vested interest in performing. This was just another kick in the head reminding you of it.
  • The Bruins probably could’ve pushed this game to overtime had they called for a challenge for offsides on Lucas Carlsson’s goal, as upon replay it was very clear that the Sharks had come into the zone offsides. I am of two minds about this; on one hand, you absolutely must make that challenge. That was about as open and shut a challengeable offsides as any I’ve seen, and it does not in my opinion send a great message to your players that if everyone can see a blatantly offsides play and you just ignore it so you can get back to the locker room. That reeks of a level of indolence only reserved for Canadian NHL General Managers, and we do not have to take that.
  • On the other hand, this was not an effort that deserved a challenge. Would the Bruins have taken that re-established tie and built off of it? Would it really have been better for them to lose in overtime to the Sharks rather than in regulation? Because that’s where this effort was going! Does it make you feel any better knowing they got a loser point off the Sharks? or are we just bargaining to hope they might’ve put it together after that? Hell, if I learned at the end of the season that Sacco was told he was only allowed to challenge goals-against if they were goalie interference in one goal behind situations? I would probably believe you! There’s no need to drag out bad games! You’ve got a game today! Get to work!
  • And on another, third hand growing out of your chest...this is what it looks like if you know that losing is going to help you in the future, and you don’t care how it looks getting to that point. You want a high draft pick? I mean, a really high draft pick? Then this is the kind of thing you gotta do. You will hate yourself in the moment for it, but it’s what you have to do. As gross and craven as it is, I completely get why Sacco didn’t do it. It is the kind of thing that needs to be done, even if it makes you sick to think about.
  • First time in almost 15 tries the Sharks have attempted to beat the Bruins, and they finally got their L against one of the most moribund versions of this team. Little streaks like that are made to be broken, but it really highlights just how far this team has to go in order to be competitive again. Against the SHARKS. Good god.
  • If you want to feel some positives after a greased sewage pipe of a game like this, Fabian Lysell and Marat Khusnutdinov were the best players on Boston at even strength in terms of possession, finishing the night above 80% in CF%, 92% in FF%, and a hilarious 99% in xGF%...which ended in neither of them converting any of that into points. Admittedly, they only got around 11 and a half minutes of icetime tonight, but in the situations they were played, they found some success. They clearly have...something that can be mined for an effective NHL roster. As for what, we’re gonna have to see how they do against superior competition. No better time like the present!
  • Also, Casey Mittelstadt scored! Glad for him! I’m hoping he keeps up the pace because he has yet to have a consistent line to play with yet!
  • I’m really trying with Mason Lohrei, man. He’s turned out to sort of be the Torey Krug analog that maybe his most ardent supporters have hoped he would turn into, but with the added caveat of him turning into St. Louis Torey Krug; his offensive contributions are just not coming fast enough to save his atrocious defensive impact on his team. He needs to be better. He needs to, because I am running out of patience with this player who has made it very clear he is good enough to score NHL goals and get NHL assists, but the rest of his game has yet to really show up consistently.
  • Korpisalo was fine! He had a .900 tonight, and in fairness to him he certainly had some hideous defense working in front of him tonight. Fine probably should’ve won them this game, but he wasn’t getting bailed out by the coaches. Pity, he’s put together some decent performances.
  • Better find second gear tonight against LA, because if this is the effort coming their way after absolutely blowing up the Hurricanes? They might break a single-season scoring record.

The Bruins are back in action tonight against the LA Kings, and that game is on at 9pm EST.

Let’s all grin and bear it, and we’ll see you tonight.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...ie-interference-nhl-hockey-san-jose-korpisalo
 
Morning Skate: Reprieve

Boston Bruins v Los Angeles Kings

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

A nice break for us.

Welcome to Tuesday, folks!

The Bruins aren’t back in action until tomorrow night, when they’ll continue this Road Trip of Doom in Anaheim.

After that, they’ll have a brief stop in Detroit before returning home one week from today in what surely will be a rousing, energy-filled reception.

If nothing else, this Monday-Tuesday stretch without a game gives us a break from watching what has become an increasingly hopeless on-ice product, so...enjoy it!

When the Bruins dealt everything not nailed down at the trade deadline, it was natural to think along the lines of “OK, let’s see what some of these guys can do for the rest of the year.”

I think I underestimated just how bad things would get though, as the Los Angeles game in particular was a new level of “yikes.”

Still, we’ve been spoiled around these parts for quite a while, so you kind of have just grin and bear it, finding the positives where you can.

For example, I’ve enjoyed watching Marat Khusnutdinov, who seems (to me) like the fastest skater the B’s have had in a while.

Casey Mittelstadt looks OK.

David Pastrnak continues to do his best to drag this team to something respectability; he won’t finish high in MVP voting due to his team’s place in the standings, but he deserves some votes.

Elsewhere, there’s been a lot of chatter about Nikita Zadorov’s comments, or more specifically “no comment,” about Jeremy Swayman’s attempted fight Sunday night.

To me, the comments were more of a guy who was mad after another thorough defeat than a guy calling out his teammate.

(I thought Andrew Raycroft had a pretty good read on the whole thing.)

Plus, Zadorov must know that he and Swayman are both part of the problem, with each drastically underperforming for most of the season.

Both of them, plus Elias Lindholm and a few others, basically just need this season to be over so they can write it off and try again.

Anyways, at least it’s given us something to talk about!

Lastly, the Providence Bruins signed forward Jake Schmaltz to an AHL contract today, with the contract kicking in next season; he’ll join the P-Bruins on an ATO for the rest of the season.

Schmaltz was a seventh-round pick by the Bruins in 2019. He’s coming off of a 6G-10A-16PTS season at the University of North Dakota.

What’s on tap for today?
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...bruins-news-bruins-ducks-west-coast-road-trip
 
Preview: Bruins head to California to face the Sharks

San Jose Sharks v Boston Bruins

Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images

Two teams that aren't very good, frankly.

Just the facts​


When: Tonight, 10:30 PM

Where: SAP Center - San Jose, CA

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Opposing perspective: Fear the Fin

Know your enemy​

  • 18-42-9, 45PTS, last in the Pacific Division
  • Macklin Celebrini: 21G-29A-50PTS; William Eklund: 15G-35A-50PTS; Tyler Toffoli: 25G-20A-45PTS
  • Alexandar Georgiev: 13-23-1, 3.64 GAA, .875 save percentage

Game notes​

  • On Thursday night, the Bruins faced a Vegas team looking to get itself together in preparation for a playoff run; tonight, they’ll face a Sharks team that has had its eye on the offseason pretty much since Opening Night.
  • The Sharks are bad — they have the fewest points in the NHL (four behind the Blackhawks) and have the league’s worst GA/G figure and third-worst GF/G mark.
  • However, there are some bright spots on the team, especially in Boston University product Macklin Celebrini, who has been as advertised this season. The rookie has 50 points in 57 games, no small feat for any rookie, but particularly impressive when you remember how bad the team is.
  • Speaking of “producing on a bad team,” Tyler Toffoli’s 25 goals is a pretty remarkable figure, given the circumstances.
  • The Sharks have lost five of their last six, with all five of those losses coming in regulation. The Bruins, meanwhile, have somewhat stealthily found themselves in the midst of another four-game losing streak. That one snuck up on me.
  • No word yet on whether or not Fabian Lysell will feature tonight, though you’d expect the team may be more willing to use him after that feeble display in Vegas. Joe Sacco did say that he thinks he’ll play at some point on this trip, so...why not now?
  • The Sharks are hosting a “Bay Area Unite” night tonight, celebrating the Golden State Valkyries, which is the Bay Area’s WNBA expansion team.
  • San Jose’s head coach is Ryan Warsofsky, a Marshfield, MA native who is the brother of one-time Bruin David Warsofsky.
  • This doesn't necessarily mean much, but I was surprised to see just how much worse the Sharks and Blackhawks are than the rest of the league. Neither was supposed to be good, of course, but every other team in the league has just about 60 points, while these two are struggling to crack 50.
  • The Bruins won the first meeting of the season between these two teams, a 6-3 win at TD Garden back in late January.

See ya tonight!
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...p-macklin-celebrini-fabian-lysell-bruins-news
 
Preview: Bruins wrap up West Coast swing with a visit to Anaheim

Boston Bruins Sergei Samsonov...

SetNumber: X56637 TK1

Does the loser of this game kind of win?

Just the facts​


When: Tonight, 10 PM

Where: Honda Center - Anaheim, CA

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Know your enemy​

  • 30-32-8, 68PTS, 6th in the Pacific Division
  • Troy Terry: 19G-32A-51PTS; Mason MacTavish: 18G-25A-43PTS; Frank Vatrano: 20G-21A-41PTS
  • Lukas Dostal: 20-19-6, 2.99 GAA, .907 save percentage

Game notes​

  • Mercifully, the Bruins’ West Coast Road Trip of Doom is coming to a close — but not before one last spin in California. The Bruins will face a Ducks team that is in a similar situation in the standings, in that they’re on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, and looking more towards next season than anything else.
  • The Ducks are 13 points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, so their season is over. However, there’s plenty to play for (lose for?) in this game, as the Bruins and Ducks are separated by just one point in the league standings. While it’s hard to tell pro athletes to lose a game, this is one of those that may be better as a loss once the draft rolls around.
  • Anaheim won the first game on the season between these two teams, a 3-2 OT win at TD Garden back in late February. That Bruins loss was their first game after the Four Nations Face-Off and was right around when you could see the writing on the wall for this team.
  • The Bruins have lost six games in a row, while the Ducks are losers of three of their last four.
  • Former Bruin and Massachusetts native Frank Vatrano has reached the 20-goal mark for the Ducks this year, making it three seasons in a row that he has scored 20+. He has taken a step back after his 37-goal campaign last season, but has been reliably productive for the Ducks since landing in Anaheim.
  • Yes, that IS Sergei Samsonov in the picture accompanying this post! With the Bruins in line to potentially land a top-10 pick in this summer’s draft, I went back and counted: it appears Samsonov was the Bruins’ sixth-most recent top 10 pick, coming in at 8th overall way back in 1997.
  • The Bruins other top-10 picks since then: Lars Jonsson (7th overall, 2000); Phil Kessel (5th, 2006); Zach Hamill (8th, 2007); Tyler Seguin (2nd, 2010); and Dougie Hamilton (9th, 2011).
  • After tonight, the Bruins will have another Fail Bowl game with draft implications on Saturday night in Detroit.

See ya tonight!
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...ing-with-a-visit-to-anaheim-bruins-draft-pick
 
Public Skate: Bruins vs. Ducks

Anaheim Ducks v Boston Bruins

Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

Quack quack quack, Mr. Ducksworth.

It is Wednesday (evening), my dudes.

The Bruins are back at it tonight, and I know you’re all filled with anticipation for another spirited evening of Bruins hockey. Catch the fever.

Anyways, it’s the last late affair of the 2024-2025 season for the Bruins, so have some late caffeine and settle in.

Bruins! Ducks! LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Discuss.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...uins-vs-ducks-bruins-endless-misery-road-trip
 
Bruins @ Ducks RECAP: The Streak Reaches 7. Bruins lose 6-2

Boston Bruins v Anaheim Ducks

Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images

Boston plumbs the depths of failure with another listless effort that got slightly better in the 3rd period.

So this is where we’re at, huh.

Alright.

1st Period​


The Boston Bruins allegedly participated in this period, though they certainly didn’t act like it. The Ducks meanwhile were able to get on the board first thanks to a shorthanded tally from Leo Carlsson. 1-0 Ducks.

2nd Period​


What happened here is just...yeah. Nesterenko credited for the goal, it’s 2-0 Ducks.

David Pastrnak scored on the power play! That was pretty cool! It was a 5-on-3, so I’d hope they would have! 2-1 Ducks.

The rest of the game was just a comedy of errors; getting outworked, outskated, and completely jobbed on luck.

If you’re looking for analysis on this, here it is; this team has nothing but pain to give, and they are so very generous. 4-1 Ducks at the end of the 2nd.

Third Period​


Leo Carlsson continued to add to the Ducks’ lead after taking a solid pass that simply did not experience anything remotely resembling an issue getting to him. 5-1 Ducks.

Then a Mason McTavish goal in transition...

...and Finally Morgan Geekie scored far too late to matter.

Bruins lose 6-2.

Game Notes​

  • Your TOI Leader was Parker Wotherspoon, who played 23:57 tonight.
  • This is where we’re at; staring down the barrel of some of the worst streaks in this team’s history and we as fans are wondering if they can beat it. If this is the effort we can expect through the next 9 games? If this defense is going to be routinely beaten on even mild transition chances? If this offense cannot get off the wall without David Pastrnak’s assistance? If this is really the best we can get out of this aside from a bunch of penalties way too goddamn late to matter and a fight that goes nowhere? Then don’t you worry, the longest losing streak in franchise history may in fact be something you get to watch. This was awful.
  • The Boston Bruins had 9 shots on goal through 40 minutes of game time. Sure, part of it was that a Zadorov-less defense corps officially makes this blueline effectively an AHL-effective group and the Bruins gave the Ducks the chance to feel like a real dangerous team again, but man this squad outside of a very small group of players just has nothing. It is, more than it has ever been, rough.
  • TWO own goals in one period. One off of Mike Callahan’s skate, the other one off of Pavel Zacha’s body. If they didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.
  • 35 goal season for David Pastrnak. Currently hovering around 18% of all Bruins’ goals scored this year. Unreal that he’s gotten this far with this squad. And this was a pretty rough game for him! He was experiencing struggles all night and he still managed to give this game the dim specter of hope. What a guy.
  • I know we’re all mad at Swayman for getting all this money and not playing up to the level expected of him. That’s fine. I get where you’re coming from, I understand this is actually focused on performance, and I for the most part agree. I even understand wanting to see more of Korpisalo as a result. Tonight was a blunt reminder that for as much as Swayman hasn’t quite made his 8.25m AAV, Korpisalo hasn’t exactly lived up to the 3m AAV he’s been signed to either, in spite of how much people like him for being cheaper. There were some goals going in during this game that were just unconscionable. Even for a bad team, some of these goals just shouldn’t go in.
  • 9 more games. Just 9 more games.
  • The Bruins are currently set to pick 8th if nothing changes in the NHL Draft Lottery. Here is who EliteProspects.com believes is a good pick at 8th; Carter Bear from the Everett Silvertips.

This trainwreck of a road trip brings us to Detroit on Saturday night; the penultimate stop before coming home for a short but likely gruesome game against Washington, and this game will be on ABC and ESPN+, so please adjust your expectations accordingly.

The Puck drops at 8pm EST. We’ll see you there.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...ks-recap-the-streak-reaches-7-bruins-lose-6-2
 
Morning Skate: Commonwealth

NHL: JUL 06 Boston Bruins Development Camp

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A win for UMass.

Welcome to Friday, folks!

Hopefully you’ve had a decent week up to this point. If nothing else, you are free from having to watch the Bruins slog their way through the West Coast.

Positives, right?

The B’s aren’t back in action until tomorrow night, when they’ll face the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit.

The Red Wings are still very much in the hunt for the second wild card spot in the East, just two points behind Montreal — but the Blue Jackets, Rangers, and Islanders all stand between the Wings and that spot.

Detroit dropped a big game on Thursday night, losing to the Ottawa Senators in regulation, so Saturday’s game against the Bruins is pretty much a must-win for Detroit’s fading playoff hopes.

Elsewhere, Brad Marchand is expected to make his Panthers debut tonight against Utah. Utah will be playing its second game in as many nights, after they got pasted by Tampa last night, 8-0.

Finally, if you were looking for a local hockey fix last night, UMass had just what you needed — the Minutemen beat Minnesota, 5-4, in a wild NCAA tournament game in Fargo.

UMass was down 3-1 in the third period, then stormed back to take a 4-3 lead; they gave a goal back in the last five minutes of the third, but then won it midway through overtime.


UMASS STUNS MINNESOTA IN OT AFTER SCORING THREE GOALS IN THE THIRD PERIOD‼️

The Minutemen advance to the second round of the NCAA men's hockey tournament pic.twitter.com/8W4FCMsAgI

— ESPN (@espn) March 28, 2025​
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Along with the “flagship university of the Commonwealth” angle, there was a Bruins angle too, with draft pick Dans Locmelis featuring all over the scoresheet for the Minutemen.

Locmelis had two assists, including on the game-winner, and may have actually scored the fourth UMass goal (it was hard to tell if it was a double-tip or not).

Boston University also steamrolled Ohio State yesterday, then Boston College and Bentley play today.

If you want to expand things to include New England, teams also in action today include Providence, Maine, UConn, and Quinnipiac.

You can see the full schedule here.

What’s on tap for today?
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...ng-skate-commonwealth-frozen-four-ncaa-hockey
 
Bruins @ Red Wings 3/29/25 PREVIEW: Service Lights Are On

NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins

Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Bruins limp into Detroit to face a similarly desperate Red Wings squad.

Just the Facts​

  • The Time: 8pm EST
  • The Place: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan
  • Place to Watch: ABC, ESPN+
  • Place to Listen: 98.5 The Sports hub
  • An Opposing Viewpoint: Winging It In Motown

Know Your Enemy​

  • The Detroit Red Wings are 33-33-6, which is good for 72 points, and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
  • Lucas Raymond leads the Wings in points with 72 in 72 games. I think this young man has at long last come into his own.
  • Alex DeBrincat is the chief scoring threat for the Red Wings with 33 goals in 72 games.
  • This will be the a true special teams battle between a stoppable force and a movable object. Detroits PK is the very dirt worst in the league, and Boston’s power play is 29th.
  • The Wings have been going with Lyon and Talbot as their current tandem, though neither have been great. Talbot has a .900 SV% in 35 starts, and Mrazek has a .891 SV% in 38 starts.

Game Preview​


The Bruins and the Red Wings have something in common right now; they lose. Badly.

Boston and Detroit are limping into this one with losing streaks; Boston’s is now pretty well-documented as a team completely incapable of scoring unless Pastrnak or Geekie get involved, and Detroit is a team that has the horses to score goals, but their defense and goaltending are so putrid outside of individual efforts that it may just bring them to elimination.

As a result, both squads are well out of a playoff spot. Detroit a little less so by virtue of the Eastern Wildcard once again being a disaster area of squads lining up to get demolished, but they are still, somewhat in the mix; if only because teams around them are just as bad as they are.

As for what to expect? Well...hard to say, really. Both teams need a win to keep their fans from open revolt, and neither one seems particularly poised to do that.

Detroit has been getting off to horrific starts lately, and Boston needs something, anything to make the next 9 games worth it beyond the high first round pick, so maybe denying a divisional foe the opportunity to advance might give you that.

If there’s anything that I can hope for, it’s maybe a Fabian Lysell goal. The Wings are bad enough to probably surrender that. Maybe a couple of Pastrnak goals for fun.

Other than that...just another 60 minutes of post-deadline 2024-25 Bruins hockey, and we’ve got 540 minutes of regulation hockey at bare minimum to get through. Any bright spots in this abyss of depressing play, or maybe even a win, is a gulp of air before getting sucked back underwater.

After all, it’s the doldrums that are more dangerous than any storm.

See you at 8! Let’s go get a win here, boys!
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...view-tv-radio-nhl-hockey-boston-detroit-times
 
Bruins @ Red Wings RECAP: The heat goes on in 2-1 loss

NHL: Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Another game, another loss.

GIVE IT UP FOR LOSS NUMBER EIGHT IN THIS STRETCH

First Period​


First, Alex DeBrincat fought Andrew Peeke. DeBrincat, who is 30 pounds and several inches shorter than Peeke, reminded Bruins fans of the very prescient lesson that it is in fact about the size of the fight in the dog, and he put Peeke down with a takedown.

This lesson I am sure will be forgotten, but it’s nice to get a reminder every so often.

Then, another fight! Auston Watson locked horns with Jakub Lauko, and it...didn’t go great for Lauko.

He got like this close to hitting a DDT on Lauko.

The Red Wings got on the board first as Marco Kasper was the recipient of a lovely pass from Mason Lohrei to get him in the Bruins’ zone, and he wired a shot directly past Swayman to put Detroit up 1-0. 1-0 Red Wings.

I’m really trying to be nice to this guy, man.

Anyway, onto the 2nd period, the Bruins didn’t do much otherwise.

2nd Period​


So that Detroit power play is pretty good, might just overcome that penalty kill. Lucas Raymond got a pass as they moved the puck with ease across the ice, and doubled up the Red Wings’ lead. 2-0 Red Wings.

Thankfully, the Bruins do in fact get to take a look at their miserable PK, and I’m sure it will surprise you to learn that David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie once again linked up for a power play goal!

What a pair of troopers.

Third Period​


The Boston Bruins had 4 shots on goal through the final 20 minutes, all of them coming in the last 6 minutes of game-time. What do you think happened?

Bruins lose 2-1.

Game Notes​

  • Your TOI leader was Nikita Zadorov, who played 23:09 tonight.
  • Outside of the opening few minutes, this was kind of a slow, boring game. Even with the fights, even with the penalties, neither side seemed like they were bringing much of anything past that first major burst of energy. It came to a head when the Bruins failed to summon a shot on goal while down 1 in the third period until it was about time to think about pulling Swayman. Just a real nothing of a game that the Bruins couldn’t take advantage of, which I suppose is the point right now.
  • Fans will look at this and ask for, no, DEMAND more from this roster, and I get the sentiment and appreciate where it’s coming from, but if this is the direction this team needs to take, they simply do not have the more to give unless you’re looking for disappointment...but that is the goal, and the hope of a high draft will be the claws that snatch you from the abyss to see the sun’s rays break through darkened clouds.
  • David Pastrnak’s gonna have 90 points by the end of the season. I’m so pissed that this year is going to involve Pasta not being a part of the postseason. Maybe TNT will have him on their ever expanding panel. If he wins Czech sportsperson of the year it’s because his people got a look at what he’s playing with and understood his labors to be herculean.
  • Jokiharju had a bit of a boring, less than stellar night...and also ended up with Zadorov one of the best players in terms of possession on the team. Hockey’s funny like that.
  • I’m coming around keeping Morgan Geekie, but specifically if you cannot find another 1st rounder in this draft by waggling all the work he’s done with Pasta in front of other GM’s faces. If not? THEN you drop the 2-year, $4 mil AAV on him the minute Round 7 of the draft starts. Just make sure there’s no extra conditions and we’re solid.
  • Swayman had one of his better nights recently...and let in one of his worst goals of the year. Even when he pushes his head above water in terms of NHL SV% expectations he can’t win. He finished with a .909 SV%.
  • The Bruins have lost 8 in a row; their worst stretch of 8 games since March 1997. Mildly insulting to that Ted Donato/Jozef Stümpel-led team however...those guys had way more goals than Boston has now.
  • The Bruins are still sitting at 8th overall according to Tankathon, and if that holds; here’s who McKeen’s Hockey thinks would be best at that spot: Anton Frondell.
  • 480 minutes left. We can do this together. I believe in you.

In what is most certainly going to be the most interesting reception to them hitting home ice in quite some time, the Bruins will play the Easts’ leading squad in the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. That game is at 7pm ET.

We’ll see you there.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...-red-wings-recap-the-heat-goes-on-in-2-1-loss
 
Morning Skate: Chase

Boston Bruins v Washington Capitals

Photo by Jess Rapfogel/NHLI via Getty Images

Not much else to watch for on Tuesday!

Welcome to another week, folks!

This is the second-last full week of the season for the Bruins, so...hang in there. I give you credit for sticking it out thus far.

The Bruins and their ever-increasing losing streak will be back in action tomorrow night, hosing the Washington Capitals at TD Garden before visiting the Canadiens in Montreal on Thursday.

Normally, neither of these games would be of much interest at this point in a lost season, but:

  • Alex Ovechkin is now just five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. Given how the Bruins have played recently, there’s a decent chance he scores all five of those on Tuesday.
  • The Bruins could put a dent in Montreal’s playoff hopes by winning Thursday, as they’re still in a dogfight with the Rangers and Blue Jackets, among others.

Elsewhere, the NCAA men’s hockey tournament ended for several local sides over the weekend, with Boston College, UMass, and UConn all losing over the weekend.

Boston University remains the lone local representative in the tournament, as they head to the Frozen Four along with Western Michigan, Denver, and Penn State.

The Bruins made two minor roster moves on Sunday, putting Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers with the intent of assigning them to Providence.

While the P-Bruins lost on Sunday, they clinched a playoff spot with Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack, so...all is not lost organizationally, at least.

Positives!

If you’re draft watching, the Bruins slipped down to 26th in the league over the weekend, tied in points with the Philadelphia Flyers.

They’re also just a point ahead of both Buffalo and Seattle, so...a top-five pick in this summer’s draft is a real possibility.

Seattle and Philadelphia are both playing tonight, so here’s to hoping they both head home victorious in their respective games.

While no one expected the Bruins to be in this position this season, it’s admirable to see their commitment to following through on the teardown.

What’s on tap for today?
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...skate-chase-bruins-alex-ovechkin-goals-record
 
Recap: Bruins battle back, but fall 4-3 to Capitals

NHL: Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Losing streak now stands at nine games.

The Boston Bruins battled back, but came up short, falling 4-3 to the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Bruins are now on a nine-game losing streak.

“The guys are trying to get a win here,” Interim head coach Joe Sacco said. Despite his team’s loss, he felt the effort was there and gave credit to the team to first battle back down two goals to tie the game in the second and then not get discouraged when the Capitals regained a two-goal lead in the third.

“That’s the attitude that we have to have right now,” Sacco said. “Regardless of what happens, we are going to play hard right until the very end.”

The Bruins found themselves in a two-goal hole after the first period as the team couldn’t generate offense and the Capitals’ special teams got to work.

The period was scoreless until the Bruins went on the man advantage. For the Capitals, Nic Dowd scored shorthanded. Two minutes later, Alex Ovechkin would notch No. 891 on the power play.

The Bruins were able to bounce back in the second period, outshooting Washington in the frame and making it a 2-2 game after 40 minutes.

Vinni Lettieri responded picking up a pass in the slot and beating goaltender Charlie Lindgren to cut the Bruins’ deficit to one goal early in the second.

Providence call-up Jeffrey Viel later dropped the gloves with Dylan McIlrath and there was some new energy in the building.

David Pastrnak tied the game tipping in a Morgan Geekie blast and the Bruins headed to locker room with the score evened at 2-2.

In the best period of hockey from both teams, the Capitals ended up extended their lead midway through the third period as Strome found the back of the net capitalizing in the slot. Tom Wilson further extended Washington’ lead with a deflection past Swayman.

Pastrnak answered back with his second goal of the night, but the Bruins would ultimately drop their first home game back after a long road trip.

Here are the game’s highlights:

First period:

Just 10 seconds into the Bruins’ power play, Nic Dowd sent a wrist shot top shelf over Jeremy Swayman’s glove from the left-wing circle at 13:32 of the first period, giving the Capitals the lead with a shorthanded goal. 1-0 Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin was left unattended at the backdoor where he put the puck into a wide-open net, scoring career goal No. 891, at 15:43 of the first period on the power play. 2-0 Capitals.

Second period:

Vinni Lettieri beat Charlie Lindgren’s blocker after he picks up the pass in the slot left by Marat Khusnutdinov at 6:05 of the second period. 2-1 game.

David Pastrnak skated into the slot to tap in Morgan Geekie’s one-timer on the power play at 17:12 of the second period. 2-2 game.

Third period:

Aliaksei Protas shot bounced off the end boards out front to Dylan Strome who quickly collected the puck and put a low shot past Swayman at 10:37 of the third period. 3-2 Capitals.

On a 2-on-1, Pierre-Luc Dubois tried to send a pass over to Tom Wilson. The pass hit Mason Lohrei and then deflected off Wilson and into the net at 14:46 of the third period. 4-2 Capitals.

Moments later, Pastrnak answered back with his second of the night. After receiving a pass from Morgan Geekie, Pastrnak curled up high to and through the right-wing circle where he let a wrist shot fly past Lindgren’s glove at 15:13 of the third period.

Final score: 4-3 Capitals.

Game notes​

  • “The last two games there have been positives, but we put ourselves in a position where we play behind and we can’t afford it,” Pastrnak said postgame.
  • There’s no denying it was a rough start for the Bruins tonight with only four shots on net in the first and down 2-0 after the first. Postgame, Pastrnak felt the team’s rough start began with him taking a penalty on the power play and a shorthanded goal. But he liked that his team had fight to get back in the game. “We were right there going into the third,” Pastrnak said.
  • The Bruins’ power play which has struggled all season, had a really nice goal stemming from the work of Morgan Geekie. Pastrnak said it’s been incredible to see him progress this season and become an asset to the power play. Pastrnak talked about how Geekie can see plays like that and take shots that will benefit the power play.
  • Well, he didn’t score five goals to break the record, but Ovechkin did get No. 891 tonight. He’s now just four away from passing Wayne Gretzky in career goals. We can always look back and say one of the last ones needed was in Boston...silver lining right?
  • Fabian Lysell was a healthy scratch tonight. “You saw the game out there right,” Sacco responded postgame when asked why he wasn’t in the lineup. “Tonight was more of a lineup decision based on the opponent,” Sacco said. He added it’s only one game he missed and that Lysell will draw back in at some point.
  • This is the B’s longest losing streak of the season. The Bruins already had two separate, five-game losing streaks before this.
  • Ryan Leonard made his NHL debut tonight for the Capitals. The Massachusetts native and Boston College forward had his teammates along the glass when he took his rookie lap. Leonard said things didn’t really sink in until that moment.
  • The Bruins will hit the road on Thursday to face the Montreal Canadiens for a 7 p.m. puck drop.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...ttle-back-but-fall-4-3-to-washington-capitals
 
Bruins sign Dans Locmelis to an entry-level contract

2025 Desert Hockey Classic

Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images

The Latvian is officially in the mix.

After two seasons out in Amherst, Dans Locmelis is done with college hockey.

The UMass product signed his entry-level contract with the Bruins this morning, a three-year deal with an AAV of $860,000.

Locmelis's most recent college season came to an end over the weekend, just short of a Frozen Four berth.

The Latvian forward had 47 points (15G-32A) in 70 games with the Minutemen.

Locmelis has been a key contributor for Latvia on the international stage, with 6G-4A-10PTS totals in 16 World Junior Championship games.

He helped Latvia win a bronze medal at the 2023 edition of that tournament, and also helped Latvia secure a spot in the 2026 Olympics.

He'll report to Providence on an ATO, so we may see him in action soon.

Locmelis was a fourth-round pick by the Bruins back in 2022.
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Source: https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com...melis-to-an-entry-level-contract-umass-hockey
 
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