For the second time in 10 days, the Boston Bruins will play the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, this time at the TD Garden. On Oct. 27, the Black and Gold went to Ottawa and were smoked, 7-2, in a game that looked like a lot of players quit in the third period.
Jermey Swayman allowed all seven goals, four on the power play, and Boston's netminder was only credited with 16 saves. Not great. Down the other end, Leevi Merilainen stopped 26 of the Black and Gold's 28 shots. To date, that is his only win in 2025-26.
On Thursday night, it is expected that Linus Ullmark will play for the Senators in his return to Boston, and if he does, the Bruins need to take advantage of his struggles early this season. If they can, there is a chance that they win a fifth straight game.
Bruins must take advantage of two Senators struggling numbers
Entering Wednesday night's action, Ullmark led the league in 38 goals allowed. According to MoneyPuck, Ullmark's expected goals against are 29.99; he has a -8.0 goals expected, and goals saved above expected per 60 is -0.719. Entering Thursday night, Ullmark owns a 3.41 goals against average with an .861 save percentage. Somehow, he's 5-4-2.
If he plays —and he should, as Ottawa has been off since Saturday — Boston must get pucks to the net. With the way things have been going this year, would it surprise anyone if he comes in and plays out of his mind and the Senators roll to another win? Of course not.
Another area the Bruins must take advantage of is when the Senators are called for a penalty. Entering Wednesday, they owned the worst penalty-killing unit in the NHL. The power play looked good for the Black and Gold against the New York Islanders, and if they keep at it against the Sens, good things could happen.