The Boston Bruins have been rolling along this season, despite low expectations. Their loss Thursday night to the Edmonton Oilers was a step backward, but Connor McDavid's squad has been on a heater over the past week. Head Coach Marco Sturm isn't too concerned about the loss to the back-to-back Stanley Cup runner-ups.
Sturm on the teaching points of tonight’s loss
— Tom Calautti (@TCalauttis) December 19, 2025
“I also kind of like it because that shows me we just have to find a way to play those kind of games & today was the first time we kind of played a team like that. And we did a good job, but we’re just not there yet.” #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/3B8j3WtWhK
Sturm knows that you couldn't expect the Bruins to defeat every Stanley Cup contending team. It's going to be a rollercoaster watching the team try to contend this season, and an occasional setback against a contender is a good way to to get things back on track.
Sturm has been very consistent with his thoughts about this season. He has been saying that the true test of the real Bruins outlook will be a few months down the road when they finally learn the system inside and out. His comments on Thursday night were another example of him looking at the big picture.
Marco Sturm is still trusting the process
The Bruins outshot the Oilers and kept pace with them in nearly every statistical category. Some poor decisions led to the loss, which Sturm also commented on post-game. It's one of the reasons the head coach can stay positive, as better decision-making could be the difference in beating these kinds of teams.
"“I also kind of like it because that shows me we just have to find a way to play those kind of games & today was the first time we kind of played a team like that. And we did a good job, but we’re just not there yet.” "Marco Sturm
It was only a matter of time before the Bruins' special teams playing with fire would cost them a big game. They gave the Oilers too many powerplay opportunities and were lucky that unit didn't capitalize more. Then, they had the all-too-familiar mistake of allowing an odd-man rush while on the powerplay. Unfortunately for them, the player who had the breakaway was the best in the world.
You play that same game 10 times, the Bruins probably win at least half of them. It's really all Sturm can ask for when playing the league's best teams. Considering how he has been able to recreate the team and get them playing against those kinds of teams in half a season, it's hard to argue with him being positive and optimistic for the future.