Bruins Postgame: Special Teams Come to Life, ‘That’s the Beauty of Hockey, Right?’

October 9, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Bruins needed a response, and they got one from both sides of their special teams.

The Bruins (3-2-0) steamrolled the Utah Mammoth (3-2-0) 6-1 on Thursday night at TD Garden. David Pastrnak scored twice, and Casey Mittelstadt, Mason Lohrei, Morgan Geekie, and Matt Poitras each scored their first of the season. Jeremy Swayman stood tall in the crease, making 36 saves on 37 shots.

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Also Read:Bruins Cruise to Blowout Win Over Mammoth

The power play played a major role in the win, as the Bruins connected for their first three power play goals of the 2026-27 season. They started the season 0-for-10 through their first four games, entering the game as one of five teams in the league without a power play goal. Pastrnak scored twice on the power play, then set up Morgan Geekie for his first goal of the season.

“That’s the beauty of hockey, right? One night, it doesn’t go your way. Next night, you are nearly perfect,” Pastrnak said of the power play. “We know we are all good players there, and we proved it last year. Just got to do it again and make sure that [we] be direct and recover the pucks and jumps because the penalty kill is so good in this league.”

Frederic Brunet tallied his first NHL point on Thursday in just his third game with the Bruins. After morning skate, Brunet said that he is “not the focal point on that power play,” and instead “I’m here to distribute.” The 23-year-old defenseman quarterbacked the first power play unit, and he stayed true to his word, setting up Pastrnak for his first goal of the season.

Morgan Geekie played the puck to Brunet off the faceoff and tallied the secondary assist.

“I was freaking out when I got that puck, because I didn’t know what to do with it, so I’m glad that [Brunet] knew what to do,” Geekie said. “He’s got a calm presence to him out there and seemed very comfortable. So it was nice to be able to make some plays tonight.”

In almost identical fashion, Pastrnak and Geekie connected on cross-ice passes to set each other up for one-timers on the second and third power play goals. The Bruins finished 3-for-4 on the man advantage Thursday night.

Brunet was not the only young player to get on the score sheet. Matt Poitras scored his first goal of the season, and James Hagens tallied his fourth point in five games.

“It’s obviously important, you know. [Brunet] made a heck of a play on my goal. He beat two guys with a nice move and pass. [Poitras], great shot. James [has] been having nice touches and good looks,” Pastrnak said. “They’re a big part of our team, and we need them. Us older guys need to be there for them and give them as much experience we can so they can elevate their game with every single day.”

Also Read:Marco Sturm is Giving Bruins Prospects A Chance They Haven’t Always Had

On the other end of the ice, the Mammoth entered the game with the league’s best power play. They connected on eight of their 13 chances (61.5%) going into the game, but the Bruins killed off seven penalties, including four straight in the second period.

The Bruins’ penalty kill entered the game 8-for-11 (72.7%), which tied for 23rd in the league. However, they caught fire on Monday and have now killed each of their last 10 penalties.

“We were good, prepared. I thought Matt (McIlvane) did a good job there on the pre-scout,” Marco Sturm said of the penalty kill. “Took away especially the top units, their special players, and their weapons, where they scored most of their goals from. So, we did a good job, starting with our stand in the zone. I think it may be two guys getting used to each other now, the pairs we’re putting out there, and Sway did the rest.”

Marco Sturm on the penalty kill:⁰
“We were good, prepared. I thought Matt (McIlvane) did a good job there on the pre-scout. Took away the, especially the top units, their special players, and their weapons, where they scored most of their goals from. So, we did a good job,… https://t.co/1DCscfTFg2 pic.twitter.com/5p67zga5R9
— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) October 9, 2026

Jeremy Swayman made 11 of his 36 saves while the Bruins were on the penalty kill. He finished with 4.72 goals saved above expected, according to Natural Stat Trick, and 12 high-danger saves.

The Mammoth put the pressure on Swayman from the jump, steering 17 shots on goal by the first intermission and 30 by the second.

“It’s nice to see some early and make some saves,” Swayman said. “And they did a great job of penetrating and getting on the inside, and they’re a high offensive team. So it’s what we expected, and they delivered.”

Sturm added that Swayman was “great,” but the Bruins gave up too many chances for his liking.

Sturm also shuffled the lines, using what the Bruins practiced with on Wednesday in Brighton. Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt were bumped to the third line with James Hagens, and that line opened the scoring.

“[They played] real well,” Sturm said of the forward lines. Talking to the reporters sitting in on the press conference, Sturm joked, “I could see your guys’ eyes [on Wednesday], like ‘What is he doing?’ … I’m not dumb. It’s one of those things I have to go with my gut, and guys, throughout the game, the guys did a good job, you know, [on] any of the lines. So it was nice to see.”

Thursday’s win was also a test of how the Bruins would respond after back-to-back losses early in the season. Last season, their early-season struggles resulted in a six-game losing streak, but this year, they found an answer after two.

“The season is so long, and you’re going to go through ups and downs. It’s important to stay in the moment and make sure you respond. But at the same time, when things go well, you know, don’t be too high. Just try to keep each other with a foot on the ground and make sure we keep getting better as a team every single day,” Pastrnak said. “The response is obviously great. Sometimes, like I said, the season is long. The way that it came right away today, it’s perfect.

“We have one more big game at home before we head to a tough trip. So we have to make sure that we’re ready and take care of the home ice Saturday.”

The Bruins close out their three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon, and then Charlie McAvoy is set to return to the lineup as the team heads west for a four-game road trip.

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