3 Bruins’ Takeaways from Six-Game Win Streak

If you want proof that the Bruins have more depth than originally thought, look no further than their latest victory against the Maple Leafs. The team was missing their number one center in Elias Lindholm, their number one defenseman in Charlie McAvoy, and Casey Mittelstadt, who is currently fifth on the team in points. They were the lesser team on paper, playing in Toronto, and by many accounts, should have lost. Yet, they played a solid 60-minute game, with goals from Michael Eyssimont, Fraser Minten, Geekie, Arvidsson, and Pastrnak to win 5 – 3. They managed to get contributions from throughout the lineup to beat a good divisional rival.

After a slog of a 2024-25 season, the Bruins are fun to watch again in 2025-26 and a lot of it comes from seeing different faces find success each night. Pastrnak is still elite and the best player on the roster, but he has a supporting cast that are finding ways to contribute in significant ways and when it matters the most.

Penalties Remain an Issue

The Bruins currently have the third most penalty minutes in the league. It’s been a factor throughout the season so far and this six-game win streak is no exception. While they pulled off the impressive upset against the Maple Leafs, things could have gone very differently after they took several unnecessary penalties, something that head coach Marco Sturm has been focusing on with the team.

The Bruins had 15 penalty minutes against the Maple Leafs, and in total, during this win streak, they’ve registered 60 PIM in six games. Averaging double digits in PIM is not what you want to see from a team, especially when the penalty kill is not what it was a few seasons ago when they were consistently leading the league. They’re currently ranked 14th in the league with an 81.3% success rate. 

Four of the six games during this win streak so far have been decided by one goal. These games are very close, and the last thing the Bruins need is to be shooting themselves in the foot and letting teams stay in the mix longer than they should by giving away too many powerplay opportunities. If they want to extend this win streak, cleaning up the penalties is going to have to be a big talking point for the coaching staff.

Young Players Coming into Their Own

The Bruins made a conscious effort to get younger this season, trading for young players at the deadline and acquiring draft picks to restock a struggling prospect pipeline. Things have been up and down so far with the young players, but two have certainly made positive impacts during this six-game win streak. 

As mentioned, Khusnutdinov had the game tying goal and the shootout winner against the Islanders. Additionally, he had the overtime winner against the Sabres, his first goal of the season. The 23-year-old has been moved up to center the top line with Pastrnak and Geekie in light of Lindholm’s injury. The young forward struggled to get his NHL footing last season, his first full NHL season, with the Minnesota Wild, leading to his trade to Boston. While he started the season as the extra forward, he’s stepped up in light of the team’s injuries. He currently has two goals and four points in 12 games, with three of his four points, including both goals, coming during this win streak.

Fraser Minten, the Bruins’ 21-year-old forward, playing in his first full NHL season, has been impactful since the preseason, but has been looking even more comfortable in the Bruins lineup during this win streak. He scored against his former team, the Maple Leafs, and assisted on Khusnutdinov’s late, game-tying goal against the Islanders. In the last six games, he has two goals and two assists for four points, bringing his season total to six points in 17 games. 

Finally the Bruins are giving opportunities to young players, and on this current win streak, both Khusnutdinov and Minten are taking full advantage of their opportunities. They are not just playing well, but having major impacts on the games and contributions to keep the streak going. 

Now, it would be nice to see Bruins GM Don Sweeney giving some other young players who are doing well down in the American Hockey League like Matthew Poitras and Dans Locmelis, an opportunity. This is especially true at the moment when the team is facing several notable injuries. But fans can only expect so much.

Will the Streak Continue?

The Bruins face a tough stretch of games ahead as they once again face the Maple Leafs and Senators, as well as the Atlantic leading Montreal Canadians. The likelihood of them winning all three of these upcoming matchups is slim, but they certainly took many by surprise winning the last six in a row. Stranger things have happened in the NHL, and if they do extend this win streak to nine games, it would certainly be impressive. 

Are the Bruins the best team in the NHL? No, but they are fun to watch and are more competitive than many would have expected coming into this season. They’re still only 17 games in the season, and there are many long months ahead, but who knows what this team will be when all is said and done.