By: Jack Studley | Follow me on Twitter/X @jackstudley13
With the long offseason, training camp, and the preseason concluded, it is time to look ahead with the Boston Bruins. The regular season kicks off tonight, and a lot has changed within the organization since the last game (that counted). The Bruins have a new head coach, new players, strong depth options, new home and away sweaters, and a deeper prospect pool. The first month will provide a good test for the Bruins and new head coach Marco Sturm, as he will coach his first regular season games in the NHL.
The Bruins kick the season off in Washington tonight and will come home tomorrow to play Chicago. There is no slow start to the season; the black and gold will play in 13 games this month, eight of which will be on home ice. A western road trip takes up three of the five away games, and the other two come on the first night of a back-to-back, giving the Bruins a solid challenge within the first month of the season.
Game 1: @ Washington, Oct 8, 7:30 PM EST – TNT, HBO Max
The Bruins will open the season on the road in the nation’s capital. The two teams faced off twice in the preseason, with the road teams winning those contests. Opening night will feature two superstars, David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin, squaring off on national television in what could be the Russian superstar’s last season in the NHL. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reported that the Bruins will put Jeremy Swayman back in action here. There is optimism that he can return to form, especially after his performance in the preseason. Washington had the upper hand over the Bruins last season, winning two of the matchups on their way to a top-seed finish in the Eastern Conference.
Game 2: vs. Chicago, Oct 9, 7 PM EST – NESN
The Bruins’ home opener will happen the next night, when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town. Captained by former Bruin Nick Foligno, the Blackhawks consist of multiple players who donned the black and gold uniform, including Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato, and the recently signed Matt Grzelcyk. Due to this being the second night of a back-to-back, we will likely see Joonas Korpisalo in goal for the Bruins, giving him a good test on home ice to start the season.
Chicago had 189 power play attempts last season, 30th in the NHL, but converted 24.9% of the time, putting their power play in the top ten last season. The Blackhawks were among the five teams that placed below the Bruins last year, finishing 31st in the league with 61 points, which positions the Bruins as the favorites going into this game.
Game 3: vs. Buffalo, Oct 11, 7 PM EST – NESN
Staying in the comforts of home, the Bruins will host two games over the long weekend in October. Their first of 21 Saturday games this season, and three this month, will be against the Buffalo Sabres. Last season, Buffalo finished ahead of the Bruins in the standings for the first time since 2009-10. In his second stint with Buffalo, Lindy Ruff returns for his second season behind the bench after the team took a step back in the 2024-25 season, going from right outside the playoffs to seventh in the Atlantic. The Bruins won the first matchup last season, but Buffalo picked up wins in the final three meetings, rolling into this game with an active win streak against the Bruins.
Game 4: vs. Tampa Bay, Oct 13, 1 PM EST – NESN, NHL Network
Tampa Bay is in town for a Monday afternoon matinee. The Bruins will face the Lightning four times this season, and this is the only one before the two teams play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Lightning, featuring Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel, are loaded and have been strong offensively. The Lightning finished fifth in the NHL last year on the power play, giving the Bruins’ penalty kill a strong test early in the season. This game will also be an excellent early test for the three defense pairs, especially if Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov are still separated like they have been; having one of them on the ice at all times should bode well against an offense like the Lightning has.
Game 5: @ Vegas, Oct 16, 10 PM EST, NESN
The Bruins’ first Western road trip is eight days after the season opens and features three road games. The black and gold will visit their old coach, Bruce Cassidy, and North Chelmsford, MA’s Jack Eichel, in Las Vegas for a late Thursday night start. This will be the Bruins’ first time playing against a familiar foe, Mitch Marner, in a Vegas jersey.
The Golden Knights’ power play was not on the ice a lot; their 187 attempts ranked 31st in the NHL, but the power play converted 28.3% of the time, making them the second-best power play last season. Vegas did not give up too many penalties; they were shorthanded 169 times and had 463 penalty minutes, ranking last in the NHL in those categories. Vegas had the upper hand in both matchups against Boston last season, and the Golden Knights have a loaded roster, putting the Bruins to the test immediately upon starting their road trip.
Game 6: @ Colorado, Oct 18, 9 PM EST, NESN
Two nights later, the Bruins will be tested again, this time they’re in Colorado and taking on Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. It will be a late Saturday night on the east coast, with the game starting at 9:00 PM. The last time the Bruins saw Colorado, Martin Necas and Jack Drury made their Avalanche debuts, but Boston won 3-1.
The Avalanche look even more different now with the return of Gabe Landeskog and the additions of Brock Nelson and Brent Burns, and they, seemingly as always, look very promising this season. Colorado’s power play ranked eighth last year, finishing at 24.8%, which can give the Bruins’ penalty kill another challenge on this road trip. The Avalanche got off to a great start on Tuesday night, taking down the Kings in Los Angeles by a score of 4-1.
Game 7: @ Utah, Oct 19, 8 PM EST, NESN, NHL Network
The last game of the road trip is against the recently named Utah Mammoth. Last season, these teams played two low-scoring games, with Utah winning the first one 2-1 and the Bruins winning the second 1-0. Utah was shorthanded 251 times last year, the third most in the league. Their penalty kill succeeded 79.3% of the time. The Bruins’ power play, headlined by new assistant coach Steve Spott, should get a few opportunities in Utah. Aside from a team name, logo, and sweaters, the Mammoth added JJ Peterka in an offseason trade with Buffalo. Peterka, 23 years old, had 68 points with the Sabres last season, and with a fresh start ahead, is looking to continue improving with his new team.
Game 8: vs. Florida, Oct 21, 7:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Panthers are in town for game eight of the season, and Brad Marchand will return to Boston for the first time since being traded to Florida on March 7, 2025. I don’t like to remind people, but Florida won the cup and then extended Marchand to a six-year contract. With the Panthers’ injuries, Marchand will move into a top-six role in South Florida, making his return all the more entertaining. Even with the seasons that each team had last year, the Bruins and Panthers split the season series, and it ended with a nice beatdown by Nikita Zadorov. This game should continue the high-volume action we saw last season. Florida led the NHL in hits; Boston ranked third, and only got tougher this offseason.
Game 9: vs. Anaheim, Oct 23, 7 PM EST, NESN
The Anaheim Ducks will make their annual trip to Boston early this season. This will be the third game in a five-game road trip for the Ducks, who will travel from Nashville to Boston and then leave for Tampa after the game. On the other end, this is the Bruins’ second of three straight home games. This game is a prime opportunity for the Bruins to pick up two points early in the season. The Ducks, led by recently extended Mason McTavish and Jackson LaCombe, are looking to make it to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Anaheim won both games against the Bruins last year.
Game 10: vs. Colorado, Oct 25, 3 PM EST, NESN, NHL Network
The black and gold will take on the Avalanche for the second straight Saturday, wrapping up the season series. Three games separate the two Avalanche matchups, and these teams will be familiar with each other only ten games into the year. The Bruins picked up wins in both games against Colorado last season, handing the Avalanche two of their 29 losses. Former Bruin Jack Ahcan made the Avalanche roster as their seventh defenseman. He has played in two NHL games since leaving the Bruins in 2023, and this could be his first return to the TD Garden as a visitor. Ahcan had one goal in nine games with the Boston Bruins and was named an AHL All-Star while with the Providence Bruins.
Game 11: @ Ottawa, Oct 27, 7:30 PM EST, NESN
The Bruins will travel to Canada’s capital city for their first matchup against the Ottawa Senators. This will need to be another game this month where the Bruins stay disciplined; Ottawa had 269 power play opportunities last season, the most in the NHL. They converted on 64 of them for a rate of 23.8%. On the first night of back-to-back games, the Bruins will split their goaltenders and likely face former Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark. However, the Senators are also on the first game of a back-to-back, so there is always a chance that they play Ullmark the next day in Chicago.
Game 12: vs. NY Islanders, Oct 28, 7:15 PM EST, NESN
The next night is the NHL Frozen Frenzy, and the Bruins and Islanders slot in for a rare 7:15 PM start. The Islanders hired general manager Mathieu Darche in the offseason, replacing Lou Lamoriello after seven seasons. Darche got to know Bruins general manager Don Sweeney over the summer, trying to execute a trade before the Bruins’ seventh overall selection. With 82 points last year, the Islanders finished ahead of the Bruins’ 76, and then they won the draft lottery and selected first. This game will be the first time we see Matthew Schaefer, the first overall pick, on TD Garden ice; he made the team out of training camp.
New York shipped out Noah Dobson, but added Jonathan Drouin and Russian winger Maxim Shabanov via free agency. The Bruins dropped this season series last year, winning the first game 6-3, but losing the next two. The Bruins will face off on Long Island twice in November, concluding the season series within a month of the first game.
Game 13: vs. Buffalo, Oct 30, 7 PM EST, NESN
The Bruins wrap up October with a Thursday night home game against Buffalo. This will be the Sabres’ second trip to Boston this month and their last this season. The Bruins will be in Buffalo in their first game after Christmas and again in March. Buffalo’s young and talented core, including first overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, has yet to deliver a playoff berth for the Sabres. Buffalo has missed the playoffs every season since 2010-11.
October will tell us whether the Bruins are a “tough out,” as President Cam Neely mentioned in Monday’s press conference. The Bruins open the season by playing 13 games in 24 days against some strong teams. Washington, the opener, was the first seed in the Eastern Conference last season. Vegas, Colorado, and Tampa Bay are loaded and have strong special teams units. Teams like Anaheim and Buffalo have recently had the upper hand over the Bruins. The Bruins’ special teams will be tested against some of the top power plays in the NHL, and the defense will need to stand tall against teams loaded with offensive threats. It has been 177 days since the Bruins lost to New Jersey in overtime of game 82, but the Bruins are back playing games that count, and it all begins tonight.
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