by Bob Morello
Bruins break for winter Olympics
Playing outdoor hockey on a football field always proves to be interesting. When the game is the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series, and the teams are the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the excitement began to build even before the drop of the puck. Sunday’s spectacle at Raymond James Stadium served up a menu of moments that included: the fastest goal in NHL outdoor game history (Brandon Hagel – Lightning), just 11 seconds into the game; the first ever goalie fight in an NHL outdoor game (Jeremy Swayman – Bruins versus Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa) at center ice in the second period; Tampa completing the largest comeback in NHL outdoor history; as Boston blew a four-goal lead (5-1) after scoring five straight goals, only to have Tampa return the favor and score the next five goals to win the game 6-5. It was a memorable outdoor game for sure, but the Bruins appeared to lose momentum following the goalies fight, and the point they lost was vital in the closely fought wild card race. The Bruins on the day lacked discipline, for which they received 11 penalties, with the Lightning scoring three power-play goals in less than six minutes, in the second period alone, to narrow the score to 5-4. The Lightning were able to tie the game at 5-5 near the end of regulation, setting up their win with a shootout goal and a 6-5 victory. Bruins back on TD Garden ice following the Olympics, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday, February 27 at 7:00pm.
Boston played their final game before the Olympic break with the Florida Panthers last night (Wednesday). Seven Bruins players were scheduled to head to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Those players are: USA: Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman – SWEDEN: Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm – CZECHIA: David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha – FINLAND: Henri Jokiharju. Earlier in the week, prior to the outdoor game, both David Pastnak and Fraser Minten received honors from the NHL. Pastrnak was named the NHL Second Star of the Month for January. Pastrnak ranked second in the league for assists (20), even strength points (18) and points per game (1.79), and tied for second in points (25) in January. Pasta recorded points in 12 of Boston’s 14 games during the month, including seven multi-point games and a career-high six-point performance in the team’s 10-2 win over the New York Rangers on Jan. 10. Pastrnak also skated in his 800th career game on Jan. 17 in Chicago and notched his 900th career point on Jan. 26 against the Rangers, becoming the second-fastest Bruin to ever reach that milestone. He posted a season-high eight-game point streak from January 13-27, tallying three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. Pastrnak now ranks sixth on Boston’s all-time points list (902) and fourth in franchise history in multi-point games (257). As of press time on Wednesday, Pasta in 51 games with the Bruins this season, had notched 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points.
Bruins forward Fraser Minten was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for January. Minten led all NHL rookies in goals (8) and tied for the lead in points (14) in January, also ranking first in even strength goals (7) and tied for second in even strength points (11). His 14‑point January ties the highest point total recorded by an NHL rookie in a calendar month this season. In January, Minten also posted a 32.% shooting percentage (min. two shots), highest among rookies. Minten is the first Boston player to be selected as the NHL’s Rookie of the Month since Jeremy Swayman in March 2022. Minten leads all rookie skaters in plus-minus this season (+20), ranking second on Boston’s roster and 20th overall in the NHL. Among rookies, he ranks sixth in scoring with 29 points and fourth in goals (14). The 21-year-old logged points in eight of Boston’s 14 games in January, averaging one point per game with four multi-point performances. Minten opened the month with a two-goal showing in Boston’s 3-2 victory in Vancouver on Jan. 3, including the game-winner in overtime. He added a three-point game (2G, 1A) on Jan. 10 in the team’s 10-2 win over the New York Rangers at TD Garden. He closed out the month with a three-point performance on Jan. 29 against Philadelphia, becoming the first Bruins rookie to produce multiple three‑point games in a calendar month since 2018 (Jake DeBrusk). Minten has appeared in 56 games this season, recording 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points, ranking sixth on the team in scoring.