The Bruins finished October looking like a team that knows exactly who it is - at least on the standings sheet. Boston wrapped up the month at 10-4-1 after a 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, good enough to sit in first place in a crowded Atlantic Division.
Whether that hot start is a true sign of strength or a little early-season fortune will sort itself out later. For now, the numbers say the Bruins are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
A big part of that start has been goaltending. Jeremy Swayman has taken three losses, with two coming in the last week against the Carolina Hurricanes and St.
Louis Blues, plus an early-season defeat to the Ottawa Senators. In each of those games, Boston managed just one goal.
The Bruins have also gotten strong work from Michael DiPietro, who has one loss and picked up both his career win and shutout in the same week. Through the first month, the Black and Gold have not been undone by their goalies.
If anything, the tandem has been a strength.
The offense has had a few uneven spots, and Morgan Geekie is one of them. He did deliver the game-tying goal with 12 seconds left in the third period against the Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon, but that was only his second goal of the season. Boston has still piled up 10 wins with Geekie scoring just twice, yet more from him would clearly help the attack.
On the other end of the age spectrum, James Hagens has been one of the clearest bright spots in the Bruins’ youth movement. After a strong Prospects Challenge, the 2025 first-round pick at No. 7 overall has carried that momentum into the regular season.
In 15 games, he has five goals and six assists, and the best part of his scoring profile is where the goals are coming from: around the net. That is a promising sign.
There have also been some rougher performances that stand out. Pavel Zacha, in the final year of his contract, has not opened the season well.
At times he has looked sharp, but there have been too many stretches where his game has slipped. He has scored some important goals, but the overall package has not been where Boston needs it to be, and it feels like this situation could end in a trade rather than an extension.
Boston’s fourth line has been the kind of group coaches love: hard to play against and capable of changing a game in a hurry. Whether Sean Kuraly or Matthew Poitras has been in the middle, Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic have been effective. They have chipped in key goals and delivered shifts that have swung momentum.
Nikita Zadorov has had the opposite kind of month. His start has been rough enough that Sturm made him a healthy scratch against the Los Angeles Kings after he took undisciplined penalties against the Anaheim Ducks the night before on the West Coast trip. Since returning, he still hasn’t looked right, and the concern only grows when you think about how long and how costly that contract could become.
One player who did get a reward for a strong October is Marat Khusnutdinov. Acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the 2025 trade deadline, he has been very good, and the Bruins locked him up with a three-year extension worth $11.85 million, carrying a $3.95 million AAV. It is a strong deal for Khusnutdinov, and it also gives Boston a nice piece of salary cap management.
In Other News...
Bruins Just Got A Goalie Performance They Couldnt Ignore
Bostons comeback win over Chicago had plenty of moving parts, but Michael DiPietros night was the kind that tends to linger with a coaching staff. The Bruins erased a 4-2 deficit late in the third period and finished off a 5-4 overtime victory on Elias Lindholms winner, yet the goaltending was a major reason they were even in position to steal it after a rough start.
DiPietro has been getting his chance in Boston since the Bruins moved Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers, and he made the most of this one with 37 saves. In a game that could have slipped away quickly, he gave Boston the steadiness it needed to hang around long enough for the rally to take hold, which is exactly the sort of performance that can complicate the conversation in net. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Have A Growing Nikita Zadorov Problem Again
Nikita Zadorovs discipline is back in the spotlight after another roughing incident, this time against Chicago defenseman Alex Vlasic on Oct. 31. The Bruins blueliner was involved in a second-period scrum and then punched Vlasic, drawing penalties and putting Boston in an uncomfortable spot with one of its most physical defensemen.
Marco Sturm has already addressed the issue, pointing to Zadorovs discipline and what the Bruins need from him going forward. For a team that leans on Zadorov for size, edge and toughness, the challenge is finding the line between playing hard and giving away momentum, especially when those lapses keep drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins About To Face The Stretch That Will Define This Start
The Bruins have given themselves an early cushion with a strong start, and now comes the part of the schedule that can tell whether it means anything. A tight overtime win over Chicago kept the momentum going, but the next stretch is a different kind of test, with Vegas, Pittsburgh and Florida all waiting in line as Boston tries to hold onto its place atop the Atlantic.
What makes this run so important is the way the Bruins want to win it, not just the results. The emphasis has been on offensive balance, defensive consistency and dependable goaltending, and those are the ingredients that tend to get exposed when the schedule stiffens. If Boston can keep those areas steady through this stretch, it will say plenty about how real this fast start is. [Read more 🡒]