By: Brandon Murdock | Follow me on Twitter/X @Brandonmurdoc11
The Boston Bruins currently hold a 33-21-5 record through 59 games, good for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. A big part of that is how they have played at home. They have the third-best record at home in the entire National Hockey League, with a 22-8-1 record.
This success includes a current 10-game winning streak at TD Garden, their longest home winning streak since the 2022-23 season, which ultimately ended at 14 games. While the team has been firing on all cylinders at home, the same cannot be said on the road. Unfortunately, the ship has not sailed as smoothly.
The Bruins currently have the seventh-worst road record in the NHL, dropping to 11-13-4 on the road following Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia. It was a game in which the team, aside from Jeremy Swayman, looked lifeless.
The team has lost its last five road contests and has not won since January 17th, a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s not always just about the record in these games, though; it is more so about how different the team looks when they leave Massachusetts.
At home, the team is a +26, with 110 goals scored and 84 against. When they go on the road, those stats deflate to -12, with 88 goals scored and 100 allowed. The clear contrast is startling this deep into the season for a current playoff team.
They struggle mightily on the penalty kill on the road; at home, they kill off 78.8% of their penalties, while on the road, they drop to 74.8%. This is not great for a team that takes as many penalties as they do. Especially as power-play success can not only get a team back into a game or put it out of reach, but also fire the fans up, which is never a great sign when the arena is rocking.
An area of strength for the Bruins this season has been their goaltending. Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo have proven to be a strong tandem between the pipes. However, that goes out the door while the team is on the road.
The team’s save percentage on the road is .884, compared to .907% at home. Swayman has struggled mightily on the road, not recording a save percentage over .900 in a game since January 3rd at Vancouver.
While it is easy to say the goalies need to play better, which is true, the team in front of them needs to step it up as well. The team gives up too many scoring chances; whether it is penalties, giveaways, or breakdowns at the defensive end, the team has put too much pressure on its goalies. This is also shown in their being outshot on the road by an average of 4 shots per game. Just a little worse than at home, when they get outshot by two shots a game.
It is clear that this squad, despite being in the thick of a playoff race, is very Jekyll and Hyde in its play on the road compared to at home. This team needs to figure it out while outside TD Garden and do it fast, as 13 of the remaining 23 games will be played on the road. A bad stretch could end the team’s playoff hopes.
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