The Boston Bruins concluded their recent three-game road trip with a mixed bag of results, ultimately "out" on a high note despite a final stumble. The Bruins are looking for some home cooking as they navigate the ultra-tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
Boston began their road stretch with convincing wins against the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets, showcasing their offensive firepower with five and six goals, respectively. However, they ended the trip with a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. Despite the defeat, head coach Marco Sturm expressed satisfaction with the team's overall performance during the road trip. "I'm very happy with the games we played. Even (against Minnesota), half of the game was pretty solid," Sturm said. "We go home over .500 – that's exactly what we wanted. Guys dug in, guys played hard".
In the game against the Wild, Jared Spurgeon opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period, giving Minnesota an early lead. The Wild then extended their lead in the second period with goals from Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman. Quinn Hughes, making his debut for the Wild after a trade from Vancouver, also contributed with a goal in the third period. Alex Steeves and Andrew Peeke scored for the Bruins, with Peeke's goal being his first against a goalie since joining the team in 2024. Jeremy Swayman allowed six goals on 31 shots.
The Bruins have been dealing with injuries recently, with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy returning from absences during the past week. Pastrnak has been particularly impactful, recording two goals and five assists in three games since his return. Sturm hopes that there is no concern about the status of forward Morgan Geekie (team-leading 22 goals), who returned Sunday in the second period and finished the game after blocking a shot late in the first.
Looking ahead, the Bruins will return to TD Garden for a five-game homestand, starting with a matchup against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night. The team will aim to leverage their home advantage as they continue to battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the recent loss, defenseman Hampus Lindholm believes the team has been doing "good stuff" and can learn from the experience. "I don't think we should get too high or too low here," Lindholm said. "We've been doing some good stuff. Try to learn from games like (Sunday), get home and have some good wins there at TD Garden".
Currently, the Bruins hold a record of 19-14-0 and are holding onto the final Wild Card spot. With a mix of strong performances and areas for improvement, the Bruins will focus on maintaining consistency as they progress through the season.
