The Bruins left their two-game Central Time Zone swing with a split, and the trip told a clear story: there were a few encouraging signs, but the same old discipline issues kept showing up.
Boston opened the road back-to-back with a 4-3 overtime comeback over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night, then fell 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. That gives Marco Sturm’s group three wins in four games to start the season, but the second half of the trip also made it obvious where the rough edges still are.
James Hagens was one of the bright spots in Winnipeg. In just the second game of the season and the fourth regular-season game of his career, he scored his first NHL goal.
The goal came in the first period, when he pounced on a loose puck at the side of the net and put Boston ahead 2-1. For a young player, that kind of moment can take a load off, and it made for a much better trip after what can be a tough opening stretch.
JJ Peterka has also given Boston exactly the kind of early boost the Bruins were hoping for. Acquired from the Utah Mammoth, he already has two goals, and both have mattered.
His first came against the Rangers, and his second was the overtime winner in Winnipeg, where he finished off a 2-on-1 with David Pastrnak late in the extra frame. He had another strong chance against Minnesota in the second period, but the puck jumped off his stick.
Still, it’s been a strong start in Boston.
Michael DiPietro earned a spot among the positives as well. Bruins fans already knew what he could do with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, and he backed that up in the preseason. Against Minnesota, he got his first start and, even in the loss, played well enough to keep Boston in the game and give them a chance heading into the third period.
The downside? The power play still hasn’t clicked.
Through three games, the Bruins have yet to score with the man advantage. They went 0-for-2 against the Jets and 0-for-3 against the Wild, and when a team gives up two power-play goals on the other side, including the game-winner, it becomes impossible to ignore.
Penalties were the other glaring issue. Boston spent too much time in the box again, and Minnesota made them pay.
The Bruins were shorthanded for 1:52 in the second period while leading 1-0, and the Wild scored twice on the power play in that stretch to turn the game around. It’s the kind of problem that can sink a team quickly, and it’s hard not to hear the warning siren loud and clear.
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Bruins First Loss Exposed An Early Problem They Can't Keep Feeding
After opening the season with a spirited overtime win in Winnipeg, the Bruins ran into a much less forgiving night in their home opener against Minnesota. Boston had the kind of early lead it wanted, but the game quickly shifted once the second period got messy, with the Wild taking advantage of the Bruins discipline issues and turning a competitive start into a far tougher ask.
The larger concern for Boston is that the problems were not limited to the scoreboard. Shot selection and offensive execution were off, and in a back-to-back stretch like this, those details can decide whether a team grinds out points or hands them away. The Bruins have already shown they can win on energy and resilience, but their first loss of the season also served as a reminder that they cannot keep feeding opponents easy chances. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Hot Start Faces Its First Real Test In Net
The Bruins quick start now gets an early wrinkle in goal, with Michael DiPietro set to make his first start for Boston against the Wild. Marco Sturm made the call after DiPietro turned heads with his work in the minors and in preseason, giving the organization a chance to see how the depth chart holds up when the schedule starts to squeeze a little tighter.
Jeremy Swayman will get the night off after starting Fridays overtime win, and the rest of the lineup is expected to stay intact. For a team trying to keep momentum rolling, this is the kind of game that can say a lot about the Bruins goaltending picture without changing much else around it. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins First Loss Exposed An Early Problem They Couldnt Overcome
The Bruins first loss of the season arrived on the second night of a back-to-back, and it came with a familiar warning sign attached. Boston held up well at even strength against Minnesota, but special teams tilted the game the wrong way, turning a competitive night into a 3-1 defeat.
Michael DiPietro made his first start for Boston and gave the team a chance with 26 saves, but the Bruins could not find a way to cash in when the game tilted toward special teams play. Penalties became the difference, and for a team trying to establish its early-season identity, the margin for error quickly disappeared. [Read more 🡒]