Opinion: The Boston Bruins Are Doing That Thing Again

The Boston Bruins Are Doing That Thing Again

(You know the one.)

There’s a peculiar feeling Bruins fans know well. It’s not panic. It’s not optimism. It’s that weird middle space where you’re watching the team and thinking, “Okay… but what exactly are we doing here?”

And congratulations, folks—we’re back there again.

The Bruins are currently the NHL equivalent of a movie sequel that technically isn’t bad, but you’re sitting in the theater thinking, “Wait… didn’t this already happen?” Same characters, same vibes, slightly worse dialogue, and a creeping realization that the end of the season might emotionally devastate you.

Let’s start with the obvious: this team isn’t terrible. That’s almost the problem.

They’re good enough to beat bad teams, annoying enough to hang around with good teams, and just inconsistent enough to make you nervous every time you open the NHL app. They exist in Hockey Purgatory—too competitive to tank, too flawed to be taken seriously as a contender. The worst possible place for a fanbase that just lived through the greatest regular season in NHL history and followed it up by falling down the stairs in Round 1 like a drunk uncle at a wedding.

The Identity Crisis Era

Remember when you could describe the Bruins in one sentence?

• Big.
• Mean.
• Structured.
• “We will make this miserable for you.”

Now? They’re “Piss and Vinegar” MOST of the time, but you don’t really know what you’re getting game to game.

Some nights they forecheck like maniacs, and you think, “Okay, here we go.”

Other nights, they play like they’re trying not to spill coffee on their laptops.

Are they a defensive team? They should be, but aren’t.

A transition team? I guess…it seems like this is how they score most of their goals.

A vibes team? Yes. Also no. Sometimes the vibes are immaculate, and other times they lose 10-2 to a Rangers team that is getting ready to be chopped up and sold for parts.

The Post-Bergeron Hangover Is Real (And It’s Ugly)

We all knew the Patrice Bergeron hangover was coming. You don’t lose one of the greatest two-way centers of all time and just shrug it off like you swapped out a third-pair defenseman.

Bergeron wasn’t just a player — he was the soul of the team. Late-game faceoffs, penalty kills, momentum swings, big goals, calming the bench when things went sideways — all gone.

Now, every tight game has that “Who’s in charge here?” energy. Not chaos. Just uncertainty. And uncertainty is a brutal thing for a team that wants to matter when the games get more important.

Goaltending: Still a Blessing, Still a Red Flag (Somehow)

Jeremy Swayman is still very good. Sometimes spectacular. Sometimes, the only reason a game doesn’t get ugly by the second period.

But here’s the uncomfortable part: they need him to be spectacular way too often.

Joonas Korpisalo is the backup now, and he’s… fine. Competent. Professional. But a guy you don’t feel great about when the schedule gets dense, and the Bruins play three games in four nights. (But he’s been better of late).