By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
The Stadium Series clash between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning has taken over the city of Tampa Bay and Raymond James Stadium, with the venue already proving to be more out of the ordinary than once thought. The area is experiencing a cold front rarely felt in the state of Florida, with temperatures expected to dip as low as 34 degrees on Sunday.
As for the Bruins skaters, they’re simply focused on playing to their identity for yet another game, whether it’s in the middle of a tropical arctic blast or on planet Mars. That much was evident during Saturday’s practice, with the locker room keeping its answers measured and not distinctly overplaying the theme surrounding the game.
Practice Lines (via Boston Bruins’ Belle Fraser)
Line 1: Morgan Geekie – Marat Khusnutdinov – David Pastrnak
Line 2: Casey Mittelstadt – Fraser Minten – Viktor Arvidsson
Line 3: Tanner Jeannot – Matt Poitras – Mark Kastelic
Line 4: Mikey Eyssimont – Sean Kuraly – Alex Steeves
Pairing 1: Jonathan Aspirot – Charlie McAvoy
Pairing 2: Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Pairing 3: Hampus Lindholm – Mason Lohrei
Goalies: Jeremy Swayman / Joonas Korpisalo
Stats (via NHL Public Relations)
1. “The Lightning and Bruins are the top two teams in the NHL since the calendar turned, with matching win (11) and point (23) totals in January 2026 and will finish with the highest and second-highest points percentages (TBL: .885; BOS: .821). Entering Jan. 30, both teams rank among the top 10 in the NHL standings (TBL: 2nd; BOS: 9th) – with the host Lightning sitting atop the Eastern Conference and behind only the Avalanche in the entire League.”
2. “The Bruins will tie the Rangers (6-0-0 in 6 GP), Penguins (2-3-1 in 6 GP) and Flyers (1-4-1 in 6 GP) for the second-most outdoor games among all franchises, behind only the Blackhawks (1-6-0 in 7 GP). Boston (4-1-0) and the NY Rangers (6-0-0) are the only clubs with four or more roof-off wins.”
3. “Pastrnak (4-1—5 in 3 GP) leads all players in the 2026 Stadium Series in career outdoor goals and points, thanks in part to one of the three outdoor hat tricks in NHL history (3-0—3 at 2021 LT). Pastrnak’s four career outdoor goals are tied with Tyler Toffoli and Mika Zibanejad for the most in NHL history and his five points are two shy of the most in League history.”
Relevant Quotes
1. “We want to enjoy the moment, but also, we are here to get two points.” Head coach Marco Sturm on Saturday about the team’s mindset in Tampa, via WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin
2. “Obviously we get it after they practiced on it… but yeah, it’s not great. I’m sure that they have a plan in place to make it as good as they can make it.” McAvoy on Saturday about the stadium’s ice conditions, via ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski
3. “We don’t know his ceiling yet, and we don’t know what he’s going to turn into, because like I said, he’s getting better and better every day.” Jeannot on Thursday about Minten’s development during his hot month of January, via WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin
Analysis
Will the Bruins be able to overcome the absence of forwards Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm, both of whom contribute heavily to the team’s new aggressive forecheck? It will be up to the team’s youth to dig in and uphold the team’s identity, as a shorter centerman like Poitras is projected to play his second game out of Providence in a third-line role between two bruisers.
The opponent on the other side is mostly healthy, with defenseman Victor Hedman expected to return from his elbow injury. Yes, the Lightning have been playing extremely well lately anyway, but ultimately, the fuller roster will tip the scales more than anything else.
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