This isn’t the Boston Bruins team fans are used to—and it’s not anyone’s version from recent memory. For the first time since 1997, the Bruins sit at the bottom of their division, having dropped 10 of their last 11 games. Their 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, a team that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2011, underscored just how far Boston has fallen as the 2024-25 season winds down.
“We just didn’t have any sustained offensive zone time in the second period—maybe under a minute—while they had close to three,” interim head coach Joe Sacco told NHL.com. “Credit to them, they stayed on top of us. But we need to do a better job of handling pressure and generating offense. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while now—playing behind the forecheck, creating more zone time for ourselves.”
Since the firing of head coach Jim Montgomery in November, the Bruins have spiraled. Montgomery was quickly picked up by the St. Louis Blues, who have gone 34-16-6 and are riding a 12-game winning streak since his arrival.
Things worsened at the trade deadline when Bruins GM Don Sweeney dismantled the roster, trading away key veterans like captain Brad Marchand, Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo. The team has gone 3-10-1 since the deadline, leaving remaining veterans like Elias Lindholm trying to hold the locker room together.
“This is our job—we’re getting paid a lot of money to do this,” Lindholm said after a recent 4-1 loss to Montreal. “There are people out there really struggling, and we’re fortunate enough to play hockey for millions. Finding motivation shouldn’t be hard.”