By: Mary Olivia Eyears | Follow me on Twitter / X @OliviaEyears
The Boston Bruins have given fans plenty to talk about through the first eight games of the 2026-27 season. Boston started the season with back-to-back wins before falling to Minnesota and Ottawa in a two-game losing streak. In the last four matchups, Boston has won four straight. The team has found a great rhythm, with younger players stepping into their roles and Head Coach Marco Sturm settling in well in his second year. There is still plenty of hockey to be played this year, but the Bruins are putting their potential, grit, and passion on full display.
Marco Sturm has not wasted any time making needed adjustments behind the bench after the losses in Minnesota and Ottawa. Boston managed one goal in each game, and Sturm decided it was time to light a spark and change things up. Ahead of the matchup, Sturm changed some lines, including a new third line with Casey Mittelstadt, James Hagens, and Elias Lindholm, while having Fraser Minten center Marat Khusnutdinov and JJ Peterka on the second line. These changes quickly showed results.
Midway through the opening period against Utah, Lindholm forced a turnover before Hagens found Mittelstadt, who put the puck in the back of the net. The Bruins scored six goals, snapping their losing streak and getting a much-needed reboot heading into the next few games. Boston followed that game with strong performances, winning at Philadelphia, San Jose, and Anaheim and scoring 21 goals over the four games.
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie are two of Boston’s biggest offensive threats, but other lines are contributing as well. In the game against Utah, 11 players recorded at least one point: Pastrnak had four, Geekie had three, and Poitras, Mittelstadt, and Lohrei each scored at least one goal. Forward Fraser Minten has also had a huge year so far, scoring three points against Philadelphia before scoring two goals in the win over San Jose.
The younger players on the roster are contributing a lot this year, as seen in Friday’s game against Anaheim. Frederic Brunet scored his first NHL goal, and Matt Poitras scored in the third period to seal the win. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak will continue to be the offensive focal point, but Boston is proving it has production and depth on all lines.
Boston’s power play wasn’t extremely strong coming out of the gate, but they showed they could turn it around against Utah, scoring three times on four power plays, with Pastrnak finding the back of the net twice and Geekie adding to it. The penalty kill has been impressive this season, shutting down all seven of Utah’s opportunities, and Swayman stepped up as a key part of the victory by stopping 36 of 37 shots.
Special teams impressed again on Friday against Anaheim after falling 2-0 in the first period. Boston came back with four unanswered goals, three of them on the power play. Brunet scored his first NHL goal; Pastrnak and Lindholm added power-play goals in the third period, and Poitras closed out scoring. The Bruins killed all five of Anaheim’s penalties for a very successful night. Boston’s recent performance has shown how key special teams are, how much they impact the game, and how important it is to keep them consistent throughout the season.
Eight games don’t tell the whole story of a season, but the Bruins have put themselves in a great spot to keep building. Sturm’s lineup adjustments have sparked the team, and younger players continue to step up and contribute. The Bruins will look to extend their winning streak on Saturday against Los Angeles as their West Coast road trip continues.
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