As of Nov. 29, 2024, the Boston Bruins are the fourth seed in the Atlantic Division, holding a record of 11-11-3. Since winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the Bruins have been trying to recapture their championship glory. Despite strong regular season performances and even setting a National Hockey League record for most regular season wins in the 2022-2023 season, the Bruins have been stumped by mediocrity when it comes to postseason success. Fans might be in for much of the same disappointment as the Bruins’ start to the 2024-2025 season has been subpar.

The Bruins’ front office got to work during the off-season after being knocked out of the second round of the 2024 playoffs by the Florida Panthers. On July 1, center Elias Lindholm signed with the Bruins on a seven-year, $54.25 million contract. So far, Lindholm has struggled to develop chemistry with the team, recording only nine points over 19 games. While Lindholm has shown steady improvement recently, it raises concerns about whether he will be a long-term fit. 

When goalie Linus Ullmark was traded to the Ottawa Senators on June 24, the Bruins’ defensive responsibility shifted full-time to Jeremy Swayman. Swayman, who signed an eight-year contract worth $66 million in October, currently holds a save percentage of 0.888 across 16 games played. The Bruins will need every bit of Swayman's defensive prowess moving forward if the team wishes to have a chance at winning. 

On the offensive end, star wing David Pastrank who regularly scores 40 goals per season is in a slump, having only scored 2 goals in his last 12 games. Team captain Brad Marchand has been a bright spot for the Bruins, notching eight goals and nine assists across 24 games. Joonas Korpialso, who was acquired in the Ullmark trade, has been a surprisingly nice addition for the Bruins. Korpialso currently has a goals against average of 2.45 and an SV% of 0.904 across nine games. 

The biggest shakeup to the Bruins’ lineup is not related to the players, but instead to the firing of head coach Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19. Everybody in the organization anticipated the impact of this move: General Manager Don Sweeny said Montgomery’s firing “came from a decision of our team just not performing to the level of expectations that we have grown to appreciate as [fans] of the sporting community here.” Captain Marchand expressed his frustration, saying that “the tough part about this is that if we had done our job in here, he would still be around, so [we] feel terrible as a group.” There is some truth in that statement as Montgomery was the one who led the Bruins to the best single-season record (65-12-5) in the 2022-2023 season. With Montgomery gone, interim head coach Joe Sacco takes up the challenge. 

Although one of the most disappointing starts in franchise history, the Bruins still have 57 games to turn things around. The real question is: when will they finally put it all together? 

The Bruins play the Detroit Red Wings tonight at 6 p.m., following a win to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, Dec. 1.