Boston Bruins forward delivers clear message to teammates after extinguishing Flames

After coming off a five-game road trip where the Boston Bruins felt like they left two valuable points on the table with a 7-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, they were facing a tricky game against the Calgary Flames. The first game at home off a long road trip is never easy, but especially with it being just 45 hours after playing your last game and traveling across the country.

Not to mention the Black and Gold were looking for some revenge for a frustrating 2-1 overtime loss 10 days earlier in Calgary. Oh, and the Flames were on the backend of a back-to-back after losing to the Montreal Canadiens a night earlier. The stars were aligned for a Boston win.

However, as we know, things are never easy for the 2025-26 Boston Bruins. This was primed for another letdown this season. They didn't let it happen this time.

Bruins forward sends message to teammates after win over Flames

The Bruins were looking for a strong start and got it. They opened the scoring in the first period when Sean Kuraly beat Flames' goalie Dustin Wolf from the slot midway through the opening 20 minutes. That started a string of four Boston goals to open the game on their way to a 4-1 victory.

“I think as a group we knew tonight was really important for us,” Kuraly said. “For us, that offense, I think, is almost second or third from playing our good D-zone game. It’s crazy how much our offense comes from just playing a solid defensive game.”

That has been something first-year coach Marco Sturm has been preaching from the beginning of the season. It hasn't always played out that way. However, if the Black and Gold are going to climb the standings in the Eastern Conference and get into the playoffs, that's going to be the recipe on a nightly basis. Next up is the New York Rangers on the five-game homestand, and Kuraly had a message for his teammates on early Saturday afternoon.

“It goes back to not trying to win a bunch of games in one night,” said Kuraly. “We’ve got to beat New York [Saturday]. I don’t mean to be cliché with it, but we’ve got a game Saturday against New York, and that’s it. We’re not focused on what comes after. Let’s start with 1 o’clock on Saturday.”

Afternoon games have never been good to the Bruins, and the Rangers routed them, 6-2, on Nov. 28, an afternoon game the day after Thanksgiving. This is a game that Boston needs to find a way to win. It will start earlier than normal on Saturday afternoon.