A Causeway Checkup: Bruins Midseason Analysis

Joseph McLaughlin
Jan 14
4 min read

Joseph McLaughlin

1/14/26

Sportz Nation

Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty/Imagn-Images.

The Boston Sports landscape has been buzzing as of late. The Red Sox made it to the postseason for the first time in four years in October, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots won their first playoff game since Super Bowl LIII, and Jaylen Brown is leading the Celtics from a rebuild to championship contention with a Jayson Tatum return coming in the near future. This is all great stuff, but one may ask this question:

What about the Bruins?

With all of the current hype, the Black and Gold have fallen under the radar in most Bostonians’ minds, and for good reason. The once-dominant team, which set a single-season record for wins (65) in 2022, has fallen from the elite ranks of the East.

Heartbreaking postseason losses to the Panthers in consecutive seasons, the departure of longtime Bruins such as Brad Marchand, and finishing dead last in the Atlantic Division last year had most write the team off as they turned the page to a new era. Yet, the B’s are surprising everyone and find themselves in a unique position continuing the second half of the season.

A Rollercoaster of Emotions

If there were one word to describe the Bruins’ season thus far, it would be ‘rollercoaster’. Boston has seen some lows, losing six consecutive games twice this season (October 13-23 and December 18-29), but it has seen some highs. Right now, the Bruins have won five of their last six games, including Tuesday’s 3-0 shutout over the Atlantic Division-leading Detroit Red Wings.

The team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade at the end of last season, and emotions were low at the start of 2025’s campaign. Another rough start spelled out a miserable season at the bottom of the standings, but the rollercoaster climbed, and the Bruins found themselves second in the Atlantic at the end of November before falling back down in December.

Now, the Bruins are on the rise again, with a 26-19-2 record. The Black and Gold’s victory over the Red Wings was the second consecutive shutout for the team and its fourth straight victory. In that stretch, the Bruins dominated the Rangers 10-2 at home, securing their first 10-goal game since 1988, and looked exactly like the team that won the President’s trophy a few years ago.

Photo Credit: Sergei Belski/Imagn-Images.

Star Attractions

A reason why the Bruins have surged is that their star talents have shown up in huge moments. David Pastrnak’s name being in that group is no surprise. The 12th-year Bruin has 37 assists with 19 goals, adding up to 56 points this season. Those numbers are not his highest, but they are still good.

A reason why Pastrnak’s numbers are lower than usual is the breakout of Morgan Geekie. Signing him in 2023, the former Kraken forward has surprised everyone with the best season of his career. Geekie has 25 goals, tied fifth in the league, and 16 assists. The Bruin forward is on pace for a 50-goal season, already 12 goals away from tying his career high with half a season to play.

Other Bruins who have made an impact as of late have been Jeremy Swayman, the goaltender who posted a shutout against the Red Wings on Tuesday. Swayman has an 18-11-2 record with a 2.79 goals against average, having a bounce-back season after struggling in 2024. Marat Khusnutdinov is finding his stride after posting his first career hat-trick in a four-goal performance against the Rangers. Pavel Zacha also grabbed his first career hat trick against the Rangers, continuing to be a productive forward.

Who will the Bruins be in the Second Half?

This is the biggest question right now, and there is no clear answer. After the win against the Red Wings, the Bruins sit in fourth place in the Atlantic, five points behind the Canadians. They do, however, lead the Wild Card standings by a game over the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

This is a favorable spot and would land them a postseason birth when expectations were low. Yet, how sustainable this momentum will be is tough to tell. The Bruins are still finding their identity and retooling their roster. The biggest thing to see is how General Manager Don Sweeney approaches the March 6 trade deadline. Names like Zacha’s have been rumored to be trading pieces, but it is still too early to say whether or not the Bruins will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

If this season has said anything, the future does look bright for Boston. Current players are playing well, draft picks like James Hagens and Michael DiPietro have been stellar, and will join the team at some point in the future. Right now, the B’s are becoming an exciting team to watch and could make some noise in a jam-packed Eastern Conference this season. It is an exciting time to be a New England sports fan, and the Bruins are giving fans another reason why.