Here are a few reasons why the Bruins have made it back to the playoffs.
After a nightmare 2024-25 season, the Boston Bruins bounced back in a big way this campaign and have made it back to the playoffs because of it. There are many reasons why the Bruins are a playoff team again, but let's look at three specific ones.
Reason No. 1: Bruins Made The Right Hire With Head Coach Marco Sturm
The Bruins considered all of their options carefully before they hired Marco Sturm as their next head coach last June. This was a decision that the Bruins needed to get right, and it is clear that they have done just that with Sturm.
Sturm undoubtedly played a major role in the Bruins getting things back on track this season, which is why, in my opinion, he should be a candidate for the Jack Adams Award this season. He took a Bruins club that had a 33-39-10 record last season to a 45-27-10 record this campaign.
Reason No. 2: Jeremy Swayman Had The Bounce-Back Year The Bruins Needed
Jeremy Swayman was always going to be the Bruins' X-factor this season. It is no secret that he had a bad 2024-25 season after an off-season of tense contract negotiations. However, Swayman undoubtedly proved his critics wrong this season, as he had a great bounce-back year for the Black and Gold.
In 55 games this season with the Bruins, Swayman had a 31-18-4 record, a .907 save percentage, a 2.71 goals-against average, and two shutouts. This was exactly the kind of season the Bruins needed from Swayman, and it's a huge reason why they are back in the playoffs.
Reason No. 3: The Bruins' Forward Group Was Far Better Than Expected
Heading into the 2025-26 season, there were plenty of questions about the Bruins' forward group. It is understandable, as they moved on from forwards like Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau last season. Yet, the Bruins' offense ended up exceeding initial expectations in a big way.
David Pastrnak had his fourth consecutive 100-point season for the Bruins. While Morgan Geekie had a goal drought for much of the final stretch of the season, he still ended the year with 39 goals and 68 points. The Bruins surprisingly struck gold with their second line of Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, and Casey Mittelstadt. Young forwards like Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov broke out for Boston, and became key parts of their roster.
The Bruins even got solid secondary offensive production from their fourth line of Mark Kastelic, Tanner Jeannot, and Sean Kuraly, who all ended the year with 22 points. Kastelic was the biggest story of the trio, though, as he scored a career-high 12 goals on the year.