The Bruins have spent the opening stretch of the season looking like one of the NHL’s most complete teams, and Thursday’s visit from Montreal gives them another chance to prove it against a rival that always adds a little extra bite.
Boston comes in at 13-4-1 after a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Sunday, a result that pushed the Bruins’ winning streak to four games and kept the strong start under head coach Marco Sturm rolling. Through 18 games, they’ve banked 27 standings points and put themselves in a position that demands attention early in the Atlantic Division race.
Sunday’s win was built on the kind of formula that has worked so well for Boston so far: steady goaltending, quick strikes and enough depth to keep the pressure on. Jeremy Swayman was at the center of it, stopping 40 shots and giving up just one goal while Florida kept firing away. The Panthers created plenty of pressure, but they couldn’t turn that volume into a game that ever really threatened Boston.
The Bruins also got offense from a spread-out group. Elias Lindholm, Mikey Eyssimont, Morgan Geekie and JJ Peterka all found their way onto the scoresheet, continuing a trend that has made Boston dangerous without leaning too heavily on any one source of production.
That balance showed up early against Florida. Boston scored three times in the first period and never let the game slip out of its control.
Lindholm opened the scoring, Eyssimont followed soon after, and Geekie added a power-play goal before the period ended. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each finished with two assists, a reminder that Boston’s biggest names can tilt a game even when they aren’t the ones finishing the plays.
That kind of spread-out impact has been a big reason the Bruins have been able to avoid depending on one line or one hot hand.
Now comes Montreal, and with it the kind of matchup that always carries extra weight. Boston and the Canadiens have one of hockey’s longest-running rivalries, and even in the middle of the regular season, it gives Thursday’s game a sharper edge.
For the Bruins, though, the larger question is simpler: can they keep this level going against another divisional opponent? They’ve already shown they can handle adversity and stack wins together. The challenge now is making sure the early momentum doesn’t fade as the season moves along and opponents adjust.
Boston’s 13-4-1 start is a strong base. Thursday offers another chance to turn that into something more lasting.
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