The Boston Bruins have a 7-7-0 record in their first 14 games of the 2025-26 season. After an impressive three-game win streak to open the season, they dropped six in a row but have climbed back to a .500 record since snapping the spell of losses. The B’s are currently on a three-game win streak after beating the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon in Boston. All wins on the current streak have come on home ice, and when you look closer at where the Bruins have had success so far this season, all signs point to the TD Garden.
Home Advantage, Road Blues
This Bruins team has taken the phrase ‘home-ice advantage’ to heart, going 6-3 in the nine games they have played in Boston so far. Whether it be familiarity in setting, feeding off the TD Garden crowd, or not having to travel, the Bruins just have a boost in their game when they are at home. They don’t give up, hold the lead when they have it, and stick to their defensive structure.
The Bruins previously had problems at home, giving up goals minutes after scoring. Against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 21 when the Bruins came back to tie late in the game but lost with less than 30 seconds remaining, or when they traded goals all game in the 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 23. However since breaking the six-game losing streak on Oct. 25 at home against the Avalanche, they have been able to keep their lead and control the game on home ice.
It has been the opposite story on the road, where they only have one win so far this season (1-4). It seems they have less will to fight back and look disinterested at times, especially during the disaster in Ottawa against the Senators, where the Bruins lost 7-2. Any structure or defensive effort was not there; there was no push to close out the game on a strong note, even in defeat.
The Bruins laid down for the Senators and then expressed to the media how embarrassing their performance was. That was the most recent road affair, and they have not lost a game since. The Bruins have only played five games on the road compared to the nine at home, and it is a long season. There is an argument that the quality of opponents on the road has been better overall, but there is no excuse for giving up during a game.
The Importance of the Second Line
The Bruins have also come across a better variety in scoring at home. David Pastrnak leads the team in points at home with 11, but right behind him are Pavel Zacha with 10 and Casey Mittelstadt with 8. All of Mittelstadt’s points this season have come at the TD Garden, while his linemates, Zacha and Victor Arvidsson, have scored the vast majority of their points on home ice as well. The second line is important to the Bruins’ success on home ice this season, positively contributing in nearly every game. Mittelstadt and Arvidsson are still new to Boston, but are already playing like this has been home ice for years.
The second line has not been as noticeable on the road. So far usual suspects on the top line, along with a couple of bottom-six tallies, have been scoring for the Bruins on the road. If the Bruins want to turn around their road luck, Mittelstadt, Arvidsson, and Zacha must start getting on the scoresheet more often while away from home.
The Road Ahead
The Bruins have a chance to right the ship on the road as soon as Tuesday night when they visit New York to take on the Islanders, a team they beat 5-2 at home one week ago. Eight of their next twelve games come on the road, including a West Coast trip in late November. It will be a trial by fire for this team, as it could be a major boost in confidence if they come out of those eight road games with a record above .500. Although, if they continue on the path of coming up short on the road, those bad habits in play could bleed back into their home games.