The Boston Bruins once again look like they’ll be one of the NHL’s best teams heading into the 2024-25 regular season, but they must beat the league’s most outstanding units often in the regular season to drive that point home. Below, there are seven big-time matchups the Bruins and their fans must anticipate more than any other on their 2024-25 schedule, mostly early in the season.
These matchups will set the stage for Boston to get a step ahead in their two-to-four-game season series against some of the Eastern and Western Conference’s best or against teams that boast high potential. So, let’s check out seven matchups that Bruins fans must mark on their calendar if they haven’t already done so.
October 8th at Florida Panthers
This may be the ideal season opener of the 2024-25 season, as the Panthers knocked the Bruins out of the 2024 playoffs, so you can say this one will have ‘revenge game’ vibes. No, winning this game won’t be completely satisfying, but it would be a reality check to the Panthers that the Bruins are an even more improved team this time around.
October 19th at Utah Hockey Club
The Utah Hockey Club would love to pull off a few upsets early in the season, and doing so against a powerhouse like the Bruins is a good way to get the fans excited. But like the other 30 NHL teams, the Bruins will want to get a win in their first ever game against Utah, and they’re a team nobody should underestimate.
October 22nd at Nashville Predators
The Bruins will once again find themselves in the conversation as Stanley Cup contenders, but the Nashville Predators may be the latest team to join those rankings. Boston will get their first look at the new and improved Predators, a team that looked as though they were just a few puzzle pieces away from a deep playoff run last season.
October 26th vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Just as the first game on this list is a ‘revenge outing’ for the Bruins, you can say the same for their October 26th matchup vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston knocked Toronto out of the playoffs this past season, and the Leafs, with an improved defense and new bench boss, will be looking to beat the league’s best early and often.
November 23rd at Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings made a few sound under-the-radar moves, and they look like a much better team heading into the 2024-25 season. If there is any ‘non’ playoff team from the Atlantic Division who could unseat someone like the Bruins, Maple Leafs, or the Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s Detroit, so this 2024-25 series opener against the Wings is a pivotal matchup.
December 19th at Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers will naturally be serious contenders again, so this will be the first of a pair of duels featuring an outstanding goaltender in Jeremy Swayman against a high-profile offensive attack that the defending Western Conference Champions possess. If the Bruins can get the best of a team like Edmonton and stifle Connor McDavid, it will send shockwaves throughout the league.
January 2nd at New York Rangers
It will be the first of a trio of matchups featuring the last two Presidents’ Trophy winners, plus a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bruins and Rangers have been among the class of the Eastern Conference for a few years now, and both teams will be raring to get the best of the other to build momentum if they happen to cross paths in the postseason. Game 1 of this three-game regular season series is an ideal place for the Bruins to start that odyssey.