Latest news with #B's
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can win vs. Panthers, Zadorov's fight with Bennett spark Bruins?
Can win vs. Panthers, Zadorov's fight with Bennett spark Bruins? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Even though it's been a very disappointing 2024-25 NHL season for the Boston Bruins, they have earned a few really good wins — the types of victories that made you think the team was about to go on a real run and string together a bunch of positive results. But too often this season, the B's have been unable to sustain that momentum. One step forward and then two steps back, essentially. Could Tuesday's impressive win over the Florida Panthers finally provide the spark the Bruins need to make a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs? The Bruins were trailing the Panthers 2-0 in the third period, then they made a remarkable comeback to tie the score at 2-2. Mason Lohrei, who is clearly relishing his increased role, scored a nice goal on Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to even the score. The young defenseman showed tremendous patience before firing his shot. Silky stuff there, 6️⃣ — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 12, 2025 David Pastrnak has been league's best player since Jan. 1 with a league-leading 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) over that span, and he added two more points Tuesday with a goal to get the B's on the board and the primary assist on Pavel Zacha's go-ahead tally with 3:17 left in regulation, which ended up being the game-winner. PAVEL ZACHA IN THE CLUTCH!! 🐻 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2025 But the real highlight of the night was Nikita Zadorov demolishing Sam Bennett in the final minute of the game. The Bruins defenseman had enough of the Panthers forward's antics and took care of business with an entertaining fight. BENNETT AND ZADOROV DROP THE GLOVES IN THE FINAL SECONDS — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2025 This is part of the reason why the B's signed Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million deal in free agency last July. His energy is contagious. He sets a physical tone. He stands up for his teammates. He drags his teammates into the fight, both literally and metaphorically. He also picked up an assist, tallied five hits and blocked two shots in a team-leading 22:48 of ice time. So, what are the chances the Bruins actually make a push for the playoffs? They've just beaten two of the hottest teams in the league — the Lightning and Panthers — in their two games since dealing away a bunch of veterans, including captain Brad Marchand, before last Friday's trade deadline. After getting rid of a bunch of good players, the Bruins were not expected to play this well, especially offensively. But they've scored seven goals in the last two games against two top-tier opponents. But the key to whether the B's remain in the playoff mix through the end of the regular season is Jeremy Swayman. It's no secret the 26-year-old goalie has played well below expectations this season. It didn't help that he missed all of training camp and the preseason because of a contract dispute, which ended just before Opening Night when he signed one of the richest goalie contracts (eight years, $66 million) in league history. If Swayman can play at a top 10 goalie level, which he's been at for much of his career prior to this season, then the Bruins will have a chance to get into the postseason. Entering Wednesday, the B's trail the Ottawa Senators by five points for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by two points for the second wild card spot. Boston has played two more games than both Ottawa and Columbus. One factor worth considering is that three of the four teams ahead of the Bruins in the wild card race — Senators, Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens — have very little experience playing meaningful games this late in the season. How will they handle the pressure? The Bruins, meanwhile, have a lot of experience playing meaningful games, given their league-best eight-season playoff appearance streak. The Bruins also will have plenty of chances to pick up points over the final 16 games. They have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule of any team, per Tankathon. The Bruins are still a long shot to make the playoffs. MoneyPuck's analytics model give the B's just an 8.5 percent chance to get into the postseason. But if Tuesday's comeback win was any indication, this Bruins team isn't going to go down without a fight. They are going to give everything they have until the final game. Whether that'll be enough to make the playoffs remains to be seen, but it's an encouraging sign for the organization that the players are still pushing to achieve one of their biggest goals. 'All the guys since Friday have been showing up ready to work, ready to work their balls off, and play for the crest,' Zadorov told reporters postgame. 'There's no quit in this team. We're going to keep pushing until the end. We're just trying to build the momentum we haven't had all year. I think you get a couple wins, you start feeling great, you feel confidence inside the group, I think that's a good thing. Something is brewing, for sure.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five post-NHL trade deadline Bruins storylines to watch
Five post-NHL trade deadline Bruins storylines to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Boston Bruins were the busiest team at the NHL trade deadline last Friday. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney overhauled his flawed roster, trading away notable players such as Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau and Brandon Carlo. These moves helped the B's acquire valuable draft picks and young players that will help in the long-term. But what about the short term? The Bruins aren't mathematically eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race, but their chances of extending their league-leading postseason appearance streak to nine seasons appear slim. Let's take a look at five key storylines for fans to watch over the Bruins' final 17 games of the 2024-25 regular season. The Bruins acquired a couple good young players in their trade deadline deals. One of them is Casey Mittelstadt, a 26-year-old center who came over in the Charlie Coyle trade. Mittelstadt has disappointed offensively this season, but he does have the kind of skill set that can improve the Bruins' scoring output at 5-on-5 and the power play. He's a talented playmaker and adds much-needed speed to the B's lineup. Mittelstadt picked up an assist in his Bruins debut on Cole Koepke's third-period goal in last Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fraser Minten was one of the Toronto Maple Leafs' best prospects, and he was acquired as part of the Brandon Carlo trade. Minten will start with the AHL's Providence Bruins, but it wouldn't be surprising if he got a look in the NHL before the regular season concludes. Minten has a good two-way skill set at center, including an impressive shot. He has 19 games of NHL experience since being drafted in the second round by the Leafs in 2022, and getting him some more reps at that level would be beneficial to his development. The return of Jakub Lauko — acquired in the Justin Brazeau trade — provides the Bruins another good locker room presence and some speed in the bottom-six. Can he make more of an offensive impact in his second stint with the B's? That would be the best way for him to carve out a permanent role. Henri Jokiharju was acquired from the Sabres just before the trade deadline. The Finnish defenseman has the potential to add puck-moving skill and mobility to the B's blue line. Jokiharju played really well for the Sabres last season, but his production slipped a bit this year. He is able to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, so he should be very motivated to close out the season strong. If Jokiharju proves to be a good fit, it would be wise to bring him back. He's a reclamation project and it didn't cost the B's much to take the gamble. It will also be interesting to see if Fabian Lysell gets a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. The 2021 first-round pick has played only one career game for the B's. He has played well for the Providence Bruins this season, tallying 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games. His speed, scoring ability and playmaking skill would be valuable additions to a Bruins roster that has ranked in the bottom third of goals scored and power-play percentage all season. The Bruins need to see what they have in Lysell, so it would make sense to give him an extended look in Boston and see if he can produce offensively against better competition. And if the playoffs become a totally unrealistic goal in the near term, the B's might as well play the kids. !function(){'use strict'; 0!== e= t in r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if( d= Even if it ultimately wouldn't make a huge difference on this season because the Bruins are unlikely to make the playoffs, it would be beneficial long-term for both the team and Jeremy Swayman if the young goaltender ends the campaign strong and builds some momentum entering the summer. It's no secret Swayman has failed to meet expectations after signing one of the richest goalie contracts (eight years, $66 million) in league history just prior to the regular season. Swayman has a 19-21-6 record with a .898 save percentage and a 2.98 GAA. His -1.5 goals saved above expected ranks 60th out of 94 qualifying goalies, per MoneyPuck. Swayman has the ability to be a top 10 goalie. He's played at that level for most of his career before this season. If the Bruins are going to execute a quick retool and get back in the playoff hunt in 2026, Swayman has to be a huge part of that. This team won't go anywhere without strong goaltending. Swayman's post-trade deadline stretch got off to a great start this past Sunday with a 26-save shutout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Finishing the campaign by playing at a top 10 or top 15 level would be a very encouraging sign for Swayman and the Bruins going forward. The Bruins have a 29-28-8 record through 65 games. Based on points percentage, they are currently in the No. 9 pick spot in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. If the Bruins finish with the ninth-worst record, they'll have a five percent chance to win the draft lottery. The 10th-worst team has a 3.5 percent chance of winning the lottery. Boston hasn't had a top 10 pick since it took Dougie Hamilton at No. 9 in 2011, but that wasn't the Bruins' own pick. It was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Phil Kessel trade. The last time Boston's own pick was in the top 10 was in 2007. The Bruins selected center Zach Hamill at No. 8 overall, and he ended up playing in just 20 career NHL games. The Sharks took center Logan Couture with the next pick, and he's had a very good career. It's been a long time since Bruins fans have been on draft pick watch, but that will be the reality over the next month unless the team is able to win some games with a now-depleted roster after trading away so many veterans. One thing that's kind of gotten lost amid the team's lackluster season is the fact that David Pastrnak is playing at an MVP level. He leads the team in goals (32), assists (47) and points (79). He's currently on pace for 99 points, so he does have a chance to reach the 100-point mark for the third straight campaign. Pastrnak also is on pace for 40 goals, which would extend his streak of 40-goal seasons to four. Pastrnak's 42 points since Jan. 1 are the most of any player in the league during that span. He's the reason the Bruins have even a slight chance of reaching the playoffs. When we look back at this Bruins season — whenever it ends — there will be plenty of talk about veteran players who underperformed. Pastrnak will not be on that list. He's living up to expectations. Making the playoffs is not a very realistic goal for the Bruins, and you could make a strong argument that missing the playoffs and earning a lottery pick would be best for the short- and long-term future of the franchise. But the B's aren't out of the playoff race yet. The B's are four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the first wild card berth. It doesn't sound like an insurmountable gap, but the B's have played two more games than both the Senators and Blue Jackets, which doesn't bode well for Boston. The Bruins have just a 3.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason, per MoneyPuck's model. One thing to consider is the fact that Boston has the 25th-easiest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, so there will be plenty of opportunities to pick up points down the stretch.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Four scenarios Bruins must consider before NHL trade deadline
Four scenarios Bruins must consider before NHL trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Boston Bruins are in free-fall with the March 7 NHL trade deadline just a week away. The Bruins suffered another disappointing defeat Thursday night, losing 2-1 to the New York Islanders at TD Garden. The B's, who have lost five games in a row (0-3-2), now find themselves four points out of a wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference standings. MoneyPuck gives Boston just a 12.3 percent chance of reaching the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, based on its analytics model. Bruins captain Brad Marchand was candid when speaking to reporters following Thursday's loss. 'You don't always achieve every goal you're shooting for, but that's what builds great bonds and great friendships, when you go through this adversity together,' Marchand told reporters. 'We're doing that. Obviously, it hasn't been the season that we've wanted, and we haven't had the success that we would have liked this time of the year, but the good thing is that we're coming together over it. 'At the end of the day, we might not achieve what we hope to this year, but that doesn't mean that we can't build for something greater and bring it back next year. We're going to work every single day to continue to improve and build our game, and we're going to claw and fight every single day to get in the playoffs here.' The Bruins should strongly consider being sellers at the trade deadline, even though they are just four points out of a playoff spot. It's been abundantly clear all season that this group is not a contender. This team has first-round exit written all over it, assuming it makes the playoffs. Moving a few players and getting some assets (players, draft picks, prospects) in return to re-tool in the offseason is the best path for Boston to take in the coming week. With that in mind, here are four trade deadline scenarios for the Bruins to consider. The Bruins have around $5.7 million in salary cap space with defenseman Hampus Lindholm on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), per PuckPedia. This allows the Bruins to help broker a trade as a third team by taking on salary and getting a draft pick as compensation. When the Bruins acquired Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals at the 2023 trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild retained 25 percent of Orlov's salary to help the B's and got a fifth-round pick for it. The Bruins don't need to be taking on salary that goes beyond this season since they need all the cap space they can get going into the summer, but if a team close to the cap wants to make a large acquisition and doesn't have the cap space to pull it off, maybe the Bruins could retain some salary and get an asset in return. What kind of asset? Third-party brokers typically get a third-, fourth-, or fifth-round pick in these kinds of deals. It's not anything substantial, but the Bruins need all the draft picks they can possibly acquire. They've already dealt away 2025 second- and fourth-round picks in previous deals. With the exception of Brad Marchand, the Bruins should consider trading all of their upcoming unrestricted free agents. Marchand is a different case because of what he means to the team as a franchise legend, plus the fact that he's still one of the team's best forwards. He should be re-signed. Replacing his leadership and scoring production would be quite difficult. But the other UFAs should all be moved if something of average or better value is offered. Trent Frederic is one name to keep an eye on. He's the exact kind of bottom-six forward that general managers covet at the trade deadline. He could add scoring depth, toughness, versatility and penalty killing to a contending team. Based on deals involving similar players in recent seasons, the ideal scenario with Frederic would be the Bruins getting a second-round pick. But now that Frederic is out week-to-week with a lower body injury suffered Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's fair to wonder if his value has taken a hit. Trent Frederic is considered "week to week" after leaving Tuesday's #bruins game with a lower-body injury, but the sense is that it won't change any plans ahead of the trade deadline. The pending UFA could still be moved. — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 27, 2025 Keeping Frederic beyond the trade deadline and risking him leaving in free agency would be a horrible decision. Justin Brazeau is another bottom-six forward with size, toughness and some offensive skill who could be a nice addition for a contender. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Brazeau has zero points in his last nine games, so he's not exactly going into the deadline with any momentum. Forward Cole Koepke and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon are also UFAs this summer. If the Bruins can get anything for these guys, it's a deal worth making. Contending teams are always looking to add quality defensemen ahead of the playoffs. Carlo isn't going to provide a ton of offense, but he's a dependable defensive player who kills penalties, plays physical and has a ton of playoff experience (72 games). Carlo could play 20-plus minutes in a second-pairing role for a contender. Carlo still has two more years left on his contract with a $4.1 million cap hit. The fact that he's not a rental could boost his value if the Bruins are willing to listen. However, it should be noted that Carlo has a 10-team no-trade list for the 2024-25 season, per PuckPedia. There's no reason to be super active in looking to trade Carlo. He's still just 28 years old and his contract is very team-friendly, and it's not like the Bruins have a bunch of top-tier defenseman prospects who are ready for NHL minutes in the near future. But if a team is willing to overpay to acquire Carlo, the Bruins should at least listen. UPDATE (Friday, Feb. 28 at 3:17 p.m. ET): The Bruins called up several players from Providence on Friday afternoon, and Georgii Merkulov was among them. –End of Update– It's truly baffling that the Bruins haven't given top prospects Georgii Merkulov and Fabian Lysell a real chance to showcase their skills at the NHL level. Boston has ranked in the bottom third of the league in goals scored per game all season. The power play has been a bottom-five unit the entire campaign. And yet, despite playing well offensively for the Providence Bruins, neither Merkulov nor Lysell has received an extended opportunity in Boston. Merkulov leads the P-Bruins in scoring for the third straight season. There's nothing left for him to prove in the AHL. It's time to see whether he can be an NHL regular. Lysell is a similar situation. The Bruins selected him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but he's played only one game with the Bruins (back in December). Lysell is very much a work in progress defensively, like most young forwards, but his impressive offensive skill set (great shot, excellent playmaking ability, speed, etc.) would absolutely help the B's. The Bruins can't keep Merkulov and Lysell in the AHL forever. It's well past time for them to get a real chance to prove their worth at the NHL level, and the sooner it happens, the better.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sweeney gives update on Bruins' trade deadline plans, Lindholm injury
Sweeney gives update on Bruins' trade deadline plans, Lindholm injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney met with reporters Sunday and gave an unfortunate update on injured defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Lindholm is 'unlikely' to return this season, per Sweeney. The veteran d-man suffered a fractured patella that required surgery earlier this season. Lindholm hasn't played since Nov. 12. There's also no timeline on when defenseman Charlie McAvoy will return to the lineup. McAvoy suffered a shoulder injury playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Sweeney also talked about the team's approach ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, which is only about two weeks away. 'I think we'll take a much more cautious approach as we approach the deadline,' Sweeney told reporters. This is not the kind of tone Sweeney has had at the trade deadline for most of his career as Bruins GM. Since taking over the role in 2015, Sweeney has been a consistent buyer at the trade deadline, even going all-in some years. But the Bruins need to be realistic about where they stand in the playoff race. The B's have a 27-24-7 record amid a three-game losing streak. They entered Sunday five points behind the Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division, but they've also played three more games than Tampa Bay. The B's are one point behind the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings for the two Eastern Conference wild card berths, but they also have more games played than both of those teams. Analytics site MoneyPuck gives Boston just a 15.4 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to its model. It makes little sense for the Bruins to add players at this deadline unless they are in the prime of their career and have term left on their contract. Rentals should be a non-starter. It also makes sense for the Bruins to listen to trade offers on players who can become free agents in the offseason. That group includes Trent Frederic (UFA), Justin Brazeau (UFA) and Morgan Geekie (RFA), among others. The Bruins are back in action Tuesday against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brad Marchand reacts to trade rumors as Bruins struggle
Brad Marchand reacts to trade rumors as Bruins struggle originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The Boston Bruins find themselves outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings after an embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on home ice Thursday night. The B's trail both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets by one point in the wild card race, but Boston also has played at least two more games than each of those teams. As a result, MoneyPuck gives the Bruins just a 19.1 percent chance of making the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the Bruins decide to become sellers or re-tool ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, one player who could draw interest from other teams is Brad Marchand. Boston's captain has spent his entire career with the Bruins and ranks among the franchise's greatest players. His 969 points are the fifth-most in team history. But his contract expires after this season. Marchand was asked after Thursday's loss if there's pressure on the players knowing that if the team continues to struggle, changes could be made to the roster before the trade deadline. 'The only thing we can do is focus day to day,' Marchand told reporters. 'They're going to do what they feel is necessary for the team. And all we can do is worry about our play and what we can control. 'We can't control any decision that is going to be made. We have to come and do a job here every day, and that's all we can worry about right now.' When asked about his own situation, Marchand said, 'I'm not really worried about what's being said in the media. At the end of the day, like I said, they're going to make decisions for the group that they feel is necessary. 'I have no control over that. So I'm gonna worry about what's going on here and play for this group. And as long as I'm here, I'm a Boston Bruin and that's what I'm worried about.' Marchand is 36 years old but still produces at a high level as a two-way left wing. He has tallied 40 points in 53 games, and his next goal will give him at least 20 in 12 consecutive seasons. He also is strong defensively and makes a positive contribution to both the power play and penalty kill. Marchand is still one of the Bruins' top three players. If traded, he would be a huge upgrade for a contending team going into the playoffs. That said, trading him makes little sense for the B's unless a team is willing to wildly overpay. The Bruins rank 27th in goals scored per game and 30th in power-play percentage. Removing the second-best forward on the roster would make both of those areas significantly worse, and it's not like the Bruins have any Grade A prospects capable of taking his place. Trading Marchand also would be a sign of the B's giving up on the season, and there's no need to do that at the moment based on the team's position in the standings. Making the playoffs is still an attainable goal. If the Bruins plan on re-tooling in the offseason and being right back in the mix during the 2025-26 campaign, it would help if Marchand was still on the roster. There's still about six weeks before the trade deadline. A lot could change between now and March 7. But unless the Bruins fall completely out of the playoff race, or some team gives them a crazy offer for Marchand, moving him is not in the team's best interests.
