By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
The Boston Bruins have officially reached the halfway point of the 2025-2026 season. Through 41 games, Boston’s record comes in at 21-18-2. While their 44 points are only ahead of the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference, the standings are incredibly tight, especially compared to the Western teams.
It appears the Bruins will be in a dog fight to reach the postseason. They will need to continue solid play in key areas and improve in other aspects to return to the playoffs.
The Good
Morgan Geekie’s play has been incredibly important for the Bruins. After last season, many wondered how Geekie would respond to a career year. His rocket of a shot has only been more deadly, as he is currently tied with Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy for second in the NHL with 25 lamp lighters.
The Bruins’ power play has also been very productive through the first half of the season. Boston’s 24.8 success rate on the man advantage has them tied with the Montreal Canadiens for 5th in the league. Having David Pastrnak move to the right faceoff circle has given the dynamic forward the creativity to roam, look for his shot, and set up teammates. Pastrnak has been more productive this year on the power play, and the Bruins have been more sharp overall on the man advantage.
Jeremy Swayman came into this year looking to put a down 2024-2025 season in the rearview mirror. So far, he has been solid as Boston’s number one goaltender. While his numbers dipped right before the Christmas break, he has been excellent in his first two starts since the Bruins have returned to the ice.
The Bad
Boston’s defensive unit has not been as cohesive as Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm would have wanted at the start of the year. Be it due to injuries, inconsistent play, or a shuffling of the pairings, the defense struggled through stretches of the first half. Jonathan Aspirot has emerged as a possible second-pairing option with Hampus Lindholm. It will be interesting to see how the defense meshes and improves in the season’s second half.
While Swayman has been effective between the pipes for the most part, Boston does need better play from Joonas Korpisalo in net. The Bruins cannot afford to overexpose Swayman to the point where he gets worn down, fatigued, and sees a dip in his play.
Boston already experienced that issue on a smaller scale right before the break, with Swayman having to appear in six straight games and not being as sharp in net. Korpisalo will have to prove competent in the second half, or else Sturm may be forced to play Swayman more than he would want to.
Through 41 games, the Bruins find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot. While the offense has been a bright spot this season, Boston will need to play better team defense if they want to obtain one of those coveted postseason invitations. It will be interesting to see how the Bruins perform the rest of the way.
The Bruins begin the second half of their season tonight in Vancouver to take on the Canucks. The Bruins will wrap up this road trip against the Seattle Kraken Tuesday before returning to Boston. If you want to see the Bruins in person at TD Garden or on the road, consider using this official StubHub Ticket-affiliated link here for the most competitive concert and sporting event tickets in the North American region.
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