As mentioned in this article’s companion piece (which you can find here), the Boston Bruins have come out on the winning end of several of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. Milt Schmidt turned around a moribund franchise by acquiring Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield from Chicago for pennies on the dollar. […]

The NHL’s playoff format is heavily flawed; there’s no denying that. It gives as much weight and sway to geography as it does actual results, frequently pitting two behemoths against one another in the first round while two featherweights have a pillow fight, all in the name of the ratings boost that comes along with a […]

It was just over one month ago that a Boston Bruins squad embedded in an historic points streak suddenly found itself minus two if its most important players. Between Brad Marchand’s delivery of a Macho Man-inspired flying elbow and Charlie McAvoy’s finicky ticker the B’s were forced to endure the absence of two difference makers for […]

For the past 48 years, fans of the Boston Bruins have selected the winner of team’s “Seventh Player” Award, identifying the individual whose performance most exceeded their expectations. Being a fan vote and thus open to interpretation, the results have historically been all over the place. Like Tim Thomas somehow winning the award in back-to-back […]

This is a time of year typically reserved for trade rumors and chatter. The comings and goings of pending free agents (among others) dominate the news cycle, rumor mill and water cooler conversations. Exciting and topical though it may be, the incessant rumblings, retweets, speculation, and retweets of retweets can make even the most ardent and […]

So. You’re at the helm of a resurgent organization that, for all intents and purposes, has “arrived” earlier than expected. Respected sports publications are referring to your club as a true contender for the Stanley Cup. Your club is gaining ground on a division rival that seemed untouchable in the standings for the season’s first […]

Historically, the Boston Bruins have seldom made a major splash at the annual trade deadline. Typically opting instead for cosmetic changes to the roster (guys like Aaron Ward, Steve Montador and Greg Zanon), the pendulum more often than not doesn’t swing too violently in any one direction. Sometimes, the Bruins hit a home run and […]

When the Boston Bruins’ 18-game point streak came to an end Tuesday night versus the Anaheim Ducks, it did so with a thud. In their first period of play after the All-Star break the B’s looked like their hearts and minds were still in sunny Tampa Bay, despite the fact that their lone representative at […]

With Anders Bjork being felled Tuesday evening by a Francois Beauchemin crosscheck, the Boston Bruins suddenly find themselves relatively thin at a position that was firing on all cylinders roughly one week ago. Things were running so smoothly in Boston that Bjork and Peter Cehlarik were down on the farm in Providence, taking time with […]

The Boston Bruins are on a streak of epic, historical proportions, having recorded at least one point in 18 consecutive contests (14-0-4) as they emerge from the All-Star break. Eighteen. As in, the Bruins’ point streak can buy itself a pack of Marlboro and join the Marine Corps. Ok, so it hasn’t been quite that […]

Perhaps Harry Sinden’s most famous quote should be updated to, “Death, taxes, the first penalty in Montreal and a Brad Marchand suspension,” in reference to life’s certainties. Brad Marchand is a rat. A pest. The kind of guy whose jersey you rush out to buy if he plays for your favorite team, or douse with […]

Providence Bruins forward Austin Czarnik is in the midst of a stellar season. With 33 points over his first 32 contests, Czarnik was recently named to the AHL All-Star game as a member of the Atlantic Division squad. The success he has enjoyed down on the farm this season should come as no surprise to […]

For the first time since his firing 344 days ago, Claude Julien will coach a game within the confines of the TD Garden. He will do so as the head coach of the legendary Montreal Canadiens franchise, unparalleled in their mystique, aura and success. When the puck drops Wednesday night, the Boston Bruins and their […]

It wasn’t pretty. Not at all. For most of Monday’s contest versus the Dallas Stars, the Boston Bruins looked equal parts rusty, uninspired and just plain out-of-sorts. But after sleepwalking through the first 35-plus minutes of their Monday matinee the Bruins once again clawed their way back into a contest, extending their points streak to […]

With the NHL Trade Deadline roughly six weeks away, the Boston Bruins’ approach to the cutoff will be dictated by their answer to one simple question: How important is this season? For all intents and purposes, they’ve “arrived” a bit earlier than most expected. That’s not to say that being firmly entrenched in playoff position […]

When I laid forth my awards predictions for the 2017-18 season back in late September, I had no idea that one of the best coaches in the NHL was right under my nose here in Boston. Taking over for a man who was not only the winningest coach in team history but also the longest-tenured […]

The Boston Bruins’ never-ending horror show of injuries continued Monday with the announcement that Brad Marchand will miss time with an upper-body injury. The exasperation Marchand displayed in the aftermath of sustaining the injury by smashing his stick on the bench perfectly summed up the feelings surrounding the club at this point in time. Despite […]