If there was one good thing about the 2026-27 Boston Bruins schedule, it's that they were getting their California trip out of the way in October. Usually a trip that happens a little later in the season, this season it was a three-game trip through California, and the Black and Gold had a week they'll remember for a long time.
They swept games with the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings before one more stop in Texas against the Dallas Stars. Boston ended up losing 3-2 in overtime and earned seven out of a possible eight points over the last week. As they head home, here are six winners and three losers from the trip that has the Bruins at 7-2-1.
Winner: Michael DiPietro
Jeremy Swayman played in three of the four games on the trip, which wasn't surprising. However, the one game that backup Michael DiPietro played was one he'll remember for a long time. DiPietro allowed two goals in the final minute of the first period as his team faced a 2-0 deficit, but he made 13 saves over the final two periods, and his teammates scored the final four goals in a 4-2 win that earned DiPietro his first career NHL victory. Truth be told, without his 13 first-period saves, the Black and Gold don't have a chance to come back and win the game over the final 40 minutes.
Loser: Nikita Zadorov
Undisciplined play has been an issue with defenseman Nikita Zadorov not only this season, but in previous seasons with Boston since signing as a free agent. Against the Ducks, he picked up six minutes in minor penalties, including two on one play. Marco Sturm made him a healthy scratch the next night against the Kings, and the big blueliner wasn't happy. He returned against the Dallas Stars and had just one hit, two blocks, and two giveaways in the extra-session loss. This might not be over for a while.
Winner: Matthew Poitras
Young forward Matthew Poitras is looking to stick in the Bruins lineup, and since being inserted on the fourth line with Mark Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot, he has been good. Very good. On the trip, he had three goals and picked up a key assist, poking a loose puck to Marat Khusnutdinov in the third period against the Kings to break a 1-1 tie when the speedy forward poked the puck into an open net. He even dropped a veteran quote after the loss to Dallas. The kid belongs and is part of the future in Boston.
Loser: Pavel Zacha
It has been a rough start to the season for veteran forward Pavel Zacha. He has just two goals and three assists, but he doesn't look anywhere near the player he was the last couple of seasons. Whether it's the trade rumors, playing on the last year of his contract or he's hurt more than he leads on, he just hasn't been good. If he is going to raise his trade value for GM Don Sweeney, he'll need to play better. If Sweeney extends, what a mistake it would be.
Winner: Fraser Minten
With each game, Fraser Minten continues to get better and better. He had three points, two goals, and an assist on the trip, and he has four goals and eight points early in the season. He played in all situations, and his speed is tough for teams to deal with. Minten buried both his goals on the trip in the first game in San Jose in a 6-3 win, and the Black and Gold needed each of them to hold off the pesky young Sharks.
Loser: Morgan Geekie
Sure, Morgan Geekie had two assists against San Jose and one each against the Ducks and Kings, but truth be told, the Bruins need more, a lot more, from their veteran forward. He has just one goal on the season, and he has missed some golden opportunities to score by either making an extra pass, missing the net, or whiffing on a shot, as he did with an open net against the Stars. You knew a regression would come at some point, and this would be magnified more if it wasn't for the younger players.
Winner: Charlie McAvoy
After sitting the first six games of the season for his slash on Zach Benson at the end of last season's first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned for the trip, and what an addition it was. He scored in his first game back against the Sharks and is already averaging over 25 minutes a game. He's playing in all situations, something that Sturm must take a long, hard look at as the season goes along.
Loser: Marco Sturm
Usually, all the buttons Sturm pushes turn out like gold. The jury is still out on how the Nikita Zadorov benching ends up, but in his first game back, he looked different. He wasn't as physical and, truth be told, if that is going to be how the rest of the season plays out, well, that wouldn't be good. On the flip side, not having your two goalscorers against Dallas, Poitras and James Hagens, along with defenseman Frederic Brunet and Mason Lohrei, not play at the end of regulation just to collect one point was certainly a decision. It wasn't a great one.
Winner: James Hagens
The youth movement so far is real this season, and Hagnes continues to impress. He picked up a pair of assists against Anaheim, including a nice pass to Poitras in the third period for an insurance goal, then went to the front of the net against the Stars and had a nice tip on a Casey Mittlestadt pass for a 2-1 lead. Again, benching him at the end of regulation against Dallas was a head-scratching decision from Sturm.
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