(Photo Credit: Len Redkoles/Getty Images)

By: Kyle O’Rourke | Follow Me on Twitter @k_orourke15

The Boston Bruins announced Wednesday the schedule for their impending 56-game shortened season. The black and gold will begin their 2021 campaign with three games on the road starting January 14th before returning home for a four-game stand. The team’s full schedule can be viewed here.

Quick Turnaround

(Photo Credit: NHL)

Boston will play in the East division against the same eight teams over the course of the season. You can read more about the divisional alignment in Andrew Taverna’s article from this past weekend. The schedule includes nine back-to-back games, none of which will occur in the first month of the season.

It was a significantly shorter offseason than players and coaches are used to, and most players probably feel as though they just left their respective bubbles. However, the playing field is back to even as all teams will have shortened pre-season training camps as they try to get tuned up for a four-month sprint.

Difficult Start

The Bruins will begin the season with two games against New Jersey before facing their first grueling stretch of the season. This stretch includes nine games, all against playoff teams from last season. Boston will travel from New Jersey to Long Island to take on the Islanders; they then welcome the boys from Pennsylvania to TD Garden for their next four games as the Flyers and Penguins roll in. Nothing gets easier for the Bruins as they face the Capitals in Washington on January 30th and February 1st before matching up once again with the Flyers — this time in Philadelphia — just two days later.

Immediately after the Bruins run this gauntlet, they get their first taste of the new-look Buffalo Sabres and their massive free-agent signing, Taylor Hall, on February 6th. This matchup is the Bruins first back-to-back, and it will be interesting to see if they can show Hall what he missed out when he stuck his nose up at Don Sweeney and co. this offseason.