As the days continue to get closer to Christmas, The Boston Bruins believe they are a team destined to receive a big gift from Santa this year. A playoff spot. The hard working and relentless B’s currently sit second in the Atlantic division behind Tampa Bay. This of course could change by the time you’re reading this since the entire Eastern Conference is seemingly separated by a point or two. Regardless of the parity, Boston has earned their place in the standings with an impressive 19-13 start. For what they lack in skill and depth, the team has carved out an identity that has the league taking notice. The Bruins have swagger. They play like a team with a chip on their shoulders every night, and it produces wins. Stout goaltending from Jeremy Swayman is also going a long way. Is it all sustainable? Perhaps not since an 82-game schedule tends to wear physical teams down by the winter months. However, the Bruins have been surviving their injury troubles just fine. They managed an impressive 3-2 record without stars Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, both of whom returned this week. McAvoy returning a mere four weeks after jaw surgery that included a metal plate being inserted into the defenseman’s face is nothing short of miraculous. Oh, and he logged over 24 minutes versus Winnipeg Thursday in his first game back.
“A lot of fun. The guys have been playing great hockey. It is always tough to sit out, especially when they’re looking like they’re having a lot of fun and playing really good,” McAvoy said. “It’s a joy to be back, playing with this group. We had a great game tonight. That’s a big road win.”
David Pastrnak returned Tuesday night after missing five games and has a cool 2-5-7 stat line in those six periods. The future captain of the Bruins picked up right where he left off.
“I just try to play the right way,” Pastrnak said. “When you’re winning, it’s much easier to just join the group. That’s what my main focus was. They were playing great hockey when guys were out.”
Added coach Marco Sturm; “At the end of the day, our structure keeps us safe. It is protecting us from stuff like that – injuries, you name it,” Sturm said. “Our third period, it’s been our best period as of late. But because we do all the work, we grind teams out in the first 40 minutes. I feel like we have another gear in the third period, because our skill guys take over.”
The vibes, as they say, are high for the Bruins. With the group truly playing as a team, success continues as we approach the mid-way point of the 2025-26 NHL season. It might be time the hockey world gave Boston, and Sturm more specifically, more recognition.
The Bruins can’t take anything for granted however, as teams in the Atlantic division are all within striking distance. With the condensed schedule this season due to the winter Olympics in Italy, teams are all battling attrition. Case in point, the Bruins lost both Jonathan Aspirot and Viktor Arvidsson Thursday to injury. Neither player is expected to finish the week and will be reevaluated back in Boston.
For a team that was predicted to struggle with scoring, the Bruins currently sit sixth best league wide. The Bruins have swagger. The challenge from here on is to hold on to that edge and continue to be that hard out. So far, it’s proving to be what GM Don Sweeney envisioned this past offseason.
The Lookahead
The Bruins finish their three-game road trip Sunday evening in Minnesota where they’ll officially be Quinn Hughes’ first opponent as a member of the Wild. They then return to Boston for a five-game home stand with games versus the Mammoth (Tuesday), Oilers (Thursday) and back-to-back weekend matchups against Vancouver and Ottawa. A big week awaits before Santa comes to town.
G-Rant @TheRealG_Rant/Grant Cumming. Bruins fan. Bigger dreams, bigger screens, bigger feelings are planned.
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