Whether Marco Sturm spoke out of frustration or his comments on Thursday night were accurate, his outlook on the Boston Bruins' season doesn't bode well for the team or the fans. As we watched them struggle through the Western Conference road trip, positivity was in the air that the team would figure out the system, get Hampus Lindholm healthy, and continue their winning ways at home. After two games this week, that can't be further from the truth.
The roster is struggling with some of the new systems. The hybrid approach in the defensive zone works when everyone is working together, but when a team is struggling and chasing the game, things go south. Sturm said as much post-game.
""Every time you step on the ice — you're one unit. And right now we, we're not. Let's face it. Again, that's something we have to change. Because it's not just the mistakes. It's too easy right now for other teams. That's what we have to understand and correct.""Marco Sturm
It isn't just that the Bruins are struggling to understand the systems. Some of their best players aren't digging in, as we saw on Thursday night with a failed Morgan Geekie backcheck that allowed an easy goal, and then the breakdown from both Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei on the go-ahead goal, which took the wind out of the sails of a rocking TD Garden after the Bruins had scored two goals to tie it.
Marco Sturm: “Those breakdowns in big moments, that can’t happen. Or losing battles in our own end, that can’t happen. And that's pretty much the frustrating point for me.” pic.twitter.com/yWgdGbeugC
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) October 24, 2025
"“Those breakdowns in big moments, that can’t happen. Or losing battles in our own end, that can’t happen. And that's pretty much the frustrating point for me.”"Marco Sturm
The chances of the Bruins turning this around are unlikely. They don't have the pieces to dig themselves out of too deep a hole, and the season feels like it's getting late, early. Boston would need a significant winning streak at some point to move themselves back up the standings, and after watching nine games so far, does anyone believe that could happen?
Sturm can only do so much with what he is given. A narrative started to pop up on social media after Thursday's loss that the head coach should already be on the hot seat. The fact of the matter is that a prime Scotty Bowman could stand behind the bench of this roster with the way they are playing and wouldn't be able to get too much out of them. Sturm is playing with the cards that Don Sweeney dealt him, and it is a losing hand.