- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Boston Bruins sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 7-2-1 record, though their 3-0-1 Western road trip ended Tuesday with a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Dallas Stars.
Coach Marco Sturm has moved the club away from a previous approach toward a more sustainable system. The offense ranks sixth league-wide at 3.60 goals per game, with David Pastrnak's 71 assists accounting for more than a quarter of Boston's scoring. Morgan Geekie has potted 39 goals, while Pavel Zacha has added an uncharacteristic 30. Matthew Poitras, 22, has emerged as a surprise contributor.
Defensively, Charlie McAvoy anchors the blue line after a six-game suspension for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson. Hampus Lindholm, who boasts a plus-9 rating and elite speed per NHL EDGE, has drawn praise from McAvoy, who said Lindholm "opens up (offensive opportunities) for (McAvoy), being so good defensively." Lindholm has skated with both McAvoy and Will Borgen, whose 36.95 five-on-five expected goals-for percentage has helped lift the penalty kill to 80 percent.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman ranks second in the NHL with 28.8 expected goals saved, per MoneyPuck. Yet the Bruins remain penalty-prone with the second-most minors per 60 minutes, and their expected goals against trails only Toronto and the Islanders.
Source: Daily Faceoff - Wed Oct 21, 10:30 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).