The Boston Bruins' 2024-25 season started to slowly go off the rails when Hampus Lindholm suffered a season-ending knee injury. Some of the other stars on the roster kept the team above water until the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Charlie McAvoy's season-ending injury in that tournament was the one that ended their season. The Bruins went into sell mode at the trade deadline, and the fans had to watch many of their favorites walk away.
The 2025-26 season looked like it could be a recipe for even more pain, but the organization believed that with a rejuvenated Jeremy Swayman and a fully healthy defense corps, the team might not look as bad as people thought. It looked like they may be right after the three-game win streak to start the season, but an injury to Lindholm sent the team into a spiral early in the year.
Once Lindholm returned, the team got hot again, reaching a level that no one thought they'd see when they overtook the Montreal Canadiens for first place in the Atlantic Division after their win last Saturday night. However, it was the puck to the face of McAvoy and subsequent facial surgery that might've put a bow on the team's season.
The Bruins have lost two straight games since the injury, and the defense has looked rough. The team could get away with dressing some of the less-defensively responsible blueliners with McAvoy AND Lindholm in the lineup. Instead, players like Henri Jokiharju have been getting exposed without that insurance around them.
The Bruins are 9-2-0 when they've had both Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm in the lineup this season. They are 3-8-0 when one of them has been out.
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) November 20, 2025
Bruins' 2025-26 season is starting to feel like Groundhog Day
The numbers are as cut-and-dry as you can get. The Bruins have an .818 winning percentage when both 73 and 27 are on the lineup card, but a .273 winning percentage when one of them isn't. Boston needs the defensive maturity of both players to field a cohesive lineup, and when one of them is out, it forces players to play outside their comfort zones.
The Bruins might've had a chance to prove some people wrong if McAvoy had stayed healthy this season. However, with the recent report that he hopes to be back in time for the Olympics, that sounds like a player who has no chance of getting back in black and gold for a while.
If McAvoy is going to miss some considerable time, it'll be time for the front office to really take a step back and observe what they have. While the hot streak was fun for awhile, it could be time for them to get realistic about the outlook.