Boston Bruins: 15 Must Watch Games in 2015-16

These are the 15 Boston Bruins games that you certainly do not want to miss this season!

Thursday October 8, 2015 VS Winnipeg Jets
The 2015-16 Boston Bruins campaign gets underway at home against the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden. Sure, this may not be the most exciting matchup of the year, but it’s our first real glimpse at these new-look Bruins. The play of offseason additions Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey will be what most fans are watching for, as the team begins with a clean slate and dreams of a Stanley Cup Championship!

Saturday October 10, 2015 VS Montreal Canadiens
I don’t think much needs to be said about the first game of the year against the hated Montreal Canadiens. They roll into Boston for a Saturday clash with the Bruins, in what will certainly be a fun game for fans. Both the Boston Bruins and the Canadiens appear to be playoff caliber teams, and this early matchup could help to set the tone. A physical, bruising game of hockey should take place with the energy buzzing in the stands and on the ice.

Saturday October 31, 2015 @ Tampa Bay Lightning

Oct 19, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston Bruins left wing

(63) passes the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman

(62) defends during the third period at Tampa Bay Times Forum. The Bruins won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

A Halloween matchup down in Tampa Bay is sure to give the Bruins a test. Like with the Montreal game, this is our chance to see how the team grinds against a quality opponent, the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Lightning. Tampa is projected to finish atop the Atlantic Division, and a Boston Bruins win here would solidify the hopes of the team and fans that they can once again return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and maybe make a deep run while they’re at it.

Saturday November 7, 2015 @ Montreal Canadiens
Boston’s first visit to Montreal this season. Do we really need any more reason to watch than that!?

Friday November 27, 2015 VS New York Rangers
The day after Thanksgiving, the Hayes family, friends, and Dorchester neighbors will pile into TD Garden to watch not just the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers square off, but brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes as well. Jimmy Hayes was acquired after spending last season with the Florida Panthers, while Kevin is in his second season with the Rangers. The brothers did clash last season, but this will be the first time that they do so on their “home” ice so to speak as the pair grew up dreaming of playing for the Boston Bruins. No matter who comes out on top, all of Dorchester will have reason to celebrate this homecoming.

Wednesday December 16, 2015 VS Pittsburgh Penguins
The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins play a home and home series over a three day period in December. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the addition of Phil Kessel, the Penguins are again expected to be a top team in the Eastern Conference. Kessel’s return to TD Garden is always fun, but can we really get on him now that both Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton are gone from the black and gold?

Friday December 18, 2015 @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Shifting this home and home series to Pittsburgh the teams may see some carry over. Any hostility or fights that take place in the previous game could spill over to game two.

Friday January 1, 2016 VS Montreal Canadiens
Outdoor hockey is the sport in its purest form. The chill in the air at Gillette Stadium will play host to the NHL’s annual Winter Classic bringing the rival Canadiens back to town. This will be the second time that Boston has played in and hosted the annual game, but it’s a first for Montreal. This is a sure sellout and hopefully the result is a game as exciting as the 2010 Classic at Fenway Park where the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in OT.

Monday January 11, 2016 @ New York Rangers

Just over a month separated from the last Hayes brothers clash, the Boston Bruins travel to New York to take on the Rangers. This time, the picture in the Eastern Conference should have begun shaping up, and this could be a matchup of top tier playoff teams. Any trip to Madison Square Garden is special, but the potential of the two teams and their family connection bring things to another level.

Sunday February 14, 2016 @ Detroit Red Wings
This matchup with the Red Wings falls right in the middle of a long six game road trip for the Boston Bruins. This will be a good time for the team to gel together even more, and for them to prove themselves as a true Stanley Cup contender. To win in the playoffs, you have to know how to win on the road, and that is exactly what Boston can show if they can knock off the Detroit Red Wings who have the longest playoff appearance streak in the NHL.

Sunday February 28, 2016 VS Tampa Bay Lightning
As the playoff picture begins to clear up, the Lightning pay a visit to the TD Garden in hopes to remain atop the Atlantic. If Boston is truly a contender, this will put them to the test. The defense will be on watch late in the season as Tampa Bay’s high powered offense, with Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, comes to town.

Thursday March 3, 2016 VS Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, are again the reigning NHL champions. In their lone visit to Boston this year, the team will look to knock the Blackhawks down a peg or two.

Tuesday March 15, 2016 @ San Jose Sharks
Mid-March brings a tough three game California stretch of games to the Bruins. It begins with a Tuesday night matchup against former Bruins center Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks always seem to be on the cusp of grasping a Stanley Cup Championship, and this season they’ll be looking to close that gap.

Friday March 18, 2016 @ Anaheim Ducks
The California road trip shifts to Anaheim to take on the Ducks. Anaheim is continuously a power in the Western Conference, and there’s no reason to think that will stop this season. Could this possibly be a Stanley Cup Final matchup? That sure would be fun to watch!

Saturday March 19 @ Los Angeles Kings
The California road trip ends with a trip to LA. The Kings are a team that as of right now seem to be in a bit of turmoil. That of course could change by March, and they may be a top tier team once again. The Bruins will look to (hopefully) complete the California Sweep and get ready to finish the season off down the stretch.

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