By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
As the National Hockey League pauses for the three week break for the Olympics, the Boston Bruins have to be pleased with how the team has performed through the first 57 games of the 2025-2026 season. In his first year in charge behind Boston’s bench, Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm has the Black and Gold currently claiming the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
At the break, Boston’s record stands at 32-20-5. Last year, the Bruins finished the 82-game season with 33 victories.
The Bruins have gotten bounce-back efforts from Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman. Morgan Geekie has followed up his career year with even more production. Young players, such as Fraser Minten and Mason Lohrei, are carving out roles for themselves. And David Pastrnak has his eyes set on another 100-point campaign, which would be the fourth straight year the dynamic winger would reach that threshold.
However, Boston’s season has been far from perfect. They have allowed late third period goals to either force them into overtime or hand them a regulation loss. Boston has also experienced multiple six-game winless streaks. But one issue, above all else, has been the Bruins’ biggest weak spot this season.
Boston has not done a good enough job at consistently keeping their composure, staying disciplined, and avoiding penalties. The Bruins are tied with the Florida Panthers for the most penalties taken with 286. Boston also only trails the Tampa Bay Lightning for most penalty minutes assessed, with a staggering 769.
Regardless of how good a penalty killing unit is, taking that many trips to the box will eventually result in power play goals against. The Bruins sit 28th in the NHL with a 76.3% success rate shorthanded.
Boston’s penalty kill falters when the unit’s key skaters, such as Nikita Zadorov and Charlie McAvoy, are in the box and not on the ice helping shorthanded. When a team’s primary shutdown defensemen are taking penalties, it can be really challenging for the rest of the skaters and the goaltender to keep the puck out of the net consistently.
And there have been times this year when Boston’s lack of discipline was the main reason they lost. In the outdoor game against the Lightning, the Bruins lost their cool and took seven minors in less than seven minutes. Their 5-1 lead quickly evaporated, and Boston eventually came up on the wrong side of a shootout loss.
Now, yes, during that game, Boston had a legit gripe with the officials letting Tampa Bay get away with some physical play, but the bottom line is the Bruins were in complete control until they started unraveling due to undisciplined play. And you cannot make mistakes like that against potent offensive teams in this league. Playing that many minutes shorthanded will come back to bite.
The good news is Boston showed in that game, and for much of the play before the break, they can hang with the best teams in the league. But if the Bruins want to get back to the postseason and perform well in the playoffs, they will have to do a better job at staying out of the box. If Boston can limit the penalties they take while still playing with the physicality they have shown this season, the Black and Gold will be playing meaningful games come springtime.
The Bruins will be off for the Olympics until February 26th, when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in Boston. If you want to see the Black and Gold 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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