CONDENSED GAME: Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers – 12/18/2025

CONDENSED GAME: Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers – 12/18/2025

Live from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Welcome to Boston Bruins hockey. I’m Nessen. Tonight, Garden Party Week rolls on as the Bruins host the twotime defending Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers, for their first clash of the season. Hello again everybody. Along with Andy Brickley, I’m Jud Surat. Thanks for joining us. Back hand into the corner. Castle dives in. Jano is there up top. Just out of peaks reach and he’ll have to wheel back into his own zone. He’ll get a little help from Swinging. Now Hampus Lynholm up ice deflected in. Jarry paddle down will cover up and then Darnell Nurse push on Jano. That’s one of those uh behind the red line goalender tie up. So, no changes coming in that direction. But, you know, Fraser Mitten, the things that he does, it might not show up on the scoreboard. I want to show you this, Jud. He’s reading the play. He’s the he’s the sentiment in the defensive zone and the wraparound. He’s not sure if Lurai is going to get to that puck. So, he doesn’t cheat offensively, expecting Lurai to get it. He wants to get going and play an offense. So, no, he holds his ground, reads the play. Now he’s in good position defensively to deny any kind of offensive effort by the Oilers. Good decision. Get a lot on that pass, but the Bruins were able to fire it ahead. Couldn’t get it in deep. Stillman drags it out in front. Swam denies it with the paddle up TOP. EMERSON SHATTERED HIS STICK. HERE’S MHILL. RACING THE SLOT. SHOOTS. THE TARGET. Jari reaches back and grabs it. Stillman carrying the puck down the left wing. Almost like a left wing. Tries a jam play. That doesn’t work. And Laurai fell down. The puck went back to the point. The broken stick allows Fraser to take off. He wanted to get as much or as close to the net as he could. Give himself maybe a chance for a deak, but that wasn’t going to materialize. And he made the right read. Time to shoot. He tried to go short side high over the glove. You can see his numbers in his first full season in the NHL and the Bruins rattling it out to center ICEMAN HAVE A TWOON-ONE. Here’s Carali shoots. TERRY A STICK SAVE. HE WASN’T sure exactly where that puck was. And now the Oilers will burst ahead with speed. And nobody faster than Conor McDavid. He leaves for Tricidle. MCDAVID DRIFTS CENTERED. THEY SCORE BACK DOOR. HE HIT NAN HOPKINS. A power play goal. One- nothing Oilers. It was almost like the Bruins knew this play was coming, yet they still couldn’t defend it. Dave is going to get the puck below the goal line. Just a simple overload. And now he’s looking back door. looking back door. Nan Hopson goes right there. I mean, this is the high-end talent. Dry settle down. McDavid back door. Cari’s reading the play. Just doesn’t tie up Hopkins. Nan Hopkins stick enough or his body. The play is completed. The pucks in the net. A power play goal. We said play. Marm said play him five on five. The Bruins were really limiting anything Edmonton was doing. Edmonton couldn’t solve the 122 through the neutral zone. They weren’t generating much. They had four shots. Two of them are for distance. Really nothing overly threatening, but you give them a man advantage and it doesn’t take him long. McDavid was in the neighborhood, but he broke off the change. It’s a Bruins Ford Bronco horsepower play. LYNHOLM ZAKA BACK. HE SCORES. A gorgeous goal from Paka. A stutter STEP AND THEN A BACKHAND FLIP. A POWER PLAY GOAL. BRUINS ONE. OILERS ONE. Lemon short-handed. They try to sniff out the delay. So Mavoy has to take it a little bit further to the middle of the ice and they go back to Saka and it’s just a simple give and go. Executed perfectly. Tape to tape. Speed through the neutral zone. Saucer pass from Lynholm. the patience of Zaka to settle that puck. Little bit of a fake on the forehand, get Jerry to get down and throw it up top over the glove. But the execution, the carry in, the breakout, the passing, that’s why they’re top five. ASTRONAUTI WALKS IN, SHOOTS, he roofed it. Oh, over the glass it goes. Nurse may have gotten a piece of that. He’s going to love David Posa coming back to get open for Lynholm and knowing that he’s got Geeki on the wide side tape to take wing to wing. Thought Geeky was going to let it go there but he held on to it for a few more strides. Like Nurse just barely got the blade of a stick in there just at the release point. Astronaut leads the Bruins in points with 38. Morgan Ginki second in the league. Morai Carali trying to get it by Eholm. Second attempt he does. Here’s Chano. Not a Lori. He’ll slide his way in. And this goes off the surface. Did you see this t-shirt? That’s a picture of Leon Dryidle at his wedding smoking a heater. And so I think it was the equipment manager for the Oilers. They made a shirt out of it. Smoking his way to 1,000 NHL points. >> Love it. And Rick, one of the things that Victor Arvdson had talked about this morning, the former Oiler, when it comes to playing against his old team, he said, “You have to manage the puck because the Oilers can make something out of nothing.” Well, I think defensively Boston’s been really good here in the opening 20. You’ve only given up the power play goal. And uh, you know, as mentioned it earlier, it doesn’t look like the Oilers have figured out the best attack method through the neutral zone against what Boston’s doing right now. That last shifter out there with McDavid. So dangerous. You know, even though it’s ozone time for Edmonton, Boston defends well. >> Well, the Bruins eat the puck in the corner and we’ve got a meeting of the minds right by the Zamboni tunnel. Quinn Hudson pulled out of there by the linesman. >> Yeah, he was going at it with Post. >> David Posternok now grabbed by the other linesman. He’s still barking away at Hudson. Well, that’ll add another layer to the rest of this hockey game. But each team with a power play goal in the first break. >> Yeah, the power play for Edmonton, you know, their bread and butter. They just roll out that top line where that top talent that’s just so impressive. Was a nice goal by New Jen Hopkins on the back door. Even though the Bruins try to defend it, but I love the fact that the Bruins answer with a power play goal of their own 1-1. Good defensive opening 20. McDavid in to take the draw. Leon Tricidle leads the team and is tied for fourth in the league on the power play with Pete McDavid and Tricidle trying to bat it in and it’s grabbed by Swayman. Yeah, once again just using that simple overload getting the puck down to McDavid. Let him work his magic. He was looking for dry side. Little trip pass got deflected but dry with that great hand eye coordination. Little punt try but Ken’s reach. Geeky goes wide. His team making a change. Tries to hold out of the puck and the Oilers snag it. Oilers nearly give it away and now it’s drifted deep by Dryside. Lori with it. Soderstrom took a pass at his feet and will shuttle it out to the neutral zone. Hoisted in by the Bruins. Jarry down to stop it. Quick change here for the Bees. >> McDavid let it roll. And this is an icing call. Sodtorm hustled back. >> Well, the Bruins were making a line change. This is a long change in the second period, but Jarry handles the puck and he’s going to move the puck all the way up looking for a partial breakaway. Zidorov coming onto the ice off the Bruin bench. Makes a good defensive play. Needs to deal with two Oilers as they stretch. There’s Foy. Little touch pass gets a return pass from or attempted by Dryidle but uh the big fella able to defend and end up with the puck. Now Dryidle got a piece of it. Jones the Michigan native slap free. JONES SHOOTS. SWAMING THE SINGLE REBOUND. THEY SCORE. Quinn Hudson got that rebound opportunity. That’s his first National Hockey League goal. >> Oilers two, Bruins one. >> Pretty good second half shift by the Oilers. You know, not their top guys on the ice right here. Basically, your fourth line, if you want to call it that. And it’s just hard work. It looked like Nakamura is going to have a chance to make a play, but that second effort, Jones lets the shot go. The rebounds there, Hudson’s able to get to a loose puck, pull it out of the crease area. onto the back end and before Swayman can get across before Lynholm can close on him, he’s able to backand it in off that post. Two-1 Oilers. Others with 14 shots to Bruins with 13. 5 minutes to go in the second. Astronaut to Elias Lyn. Bruins dragged the line. KIKI SHOOTS WIDE. AND HE MISSED THE TARGET. >> And Jar slow to get up. He’s hurt. >> There was some contact I believe passed out as Jarry came way out of the net to try to hit on the one-time by Kiki. But Calvin Pickard is going to step into the game. Tristan Jarry will exit. Calvin Pickard 34 and two of 406 goals against an 851 save percentage. >> Yeah, it was a play that you weren’t sure if it was going to develop. It looked like Edmonton had enough people back to defend, but they don’t defend it well enough. Lynholm finds Geeki for the one time. Aastanino was cruising through. I thought maybe there was a little contact. Maybe the skate caught Tristan Dary off that maybe uh Posanok on the fly by, but he was injured already on the save attempt. Makavoy up ice. Geeky. The pass gets to Posternok. He tried to go across to the far side. will set it up in the neutral zone. Pickard gave IT AWAY TO POSTNOCK. CENTERED, FIRED, AND WIND DENIED BY Pickard who’s had to come IN AND MAKE TWO HUGE STOPS. NO ICING HERE. Soderstrom on that. Picker directs to Postnot, but he couldn’t control it. Now Yanmar threw it to the far side. The Oilers changing UP ICE. HERE’S POSTRA. WALKS IN A HUSTLE OFF THE PUCK. Geeki’s got it. GEEK LINDOL TO THE DO CUTS IN. BACK HAND THE SAVE. He flashed right through the blue paint. Runs with some late pressure here in the second trying to tie the game at two. Jammed around with 10. Lindholm boost. This is pushed back out to center ice. Now dry as the horn sounds. So the Oilers with the only goal in that second period. Calvin Pickard had to come on in relief. Yeah, one of the few shifts in the second period where the Bruins just gave up a goal because of the second effort, the change in goal. Pickard comes in, he robs ACont. Then maybe a little of his own doing, mishandling the puck behind the net or miscommunication. Lynholm with a chance somehow handles that pass that got deflected up in the shin pads and because of that’s what happened. He doesn’t keep the separation. A good defensive play by Nurse the Bruins with three real good opportunities along with the almost by Pos to finish the period but they’re down 2-1. Elias Lenol to Zaka flips to Geeki. Ian Posternok tied with six on the power play for the team lead. MAKAMOY SHOOTS. BLOCKED. REBOUND retrieved by Geeki. Intercepted before HE GOT TO POSTERNOK BUT NOT OUT. POSTERNOK CENTERED AND FLOATS JUST OVER THE CROSSBAR. >> McDavid heading up ice. HE’S GOT THE PUCK IN ON A BREAKAWAY. WALKS IN BACKHAND. HE SCORES. A SHORTANDED GOAL and the Oilers in front now three to one. >> Well, the Bruins get a couple of opportunities. The first one was a drive by Makavoy. That was a deflection by Lynholm at the bumper that just missed. And then this a pass attempted to Zaka by Pos deflects. Look, I got crossbar. And you could see this play coming certainly from our vantage point up here on nine. But none of the Bruins could get in the passing lane. None of the Bruins could get back to front McDavid. Nent Hopkins finds him with a tape to tape pass. Beautiful finish. Now Steves across Middlestep diagonal AND PICKER THE STOP ON LAURI BACK DOOR. LOL SHOOTS. PICKER TRYING TO RETRIEVE IT. THIS PUCK SLIDED BACK IN the net. Middle stat. Steve shoots. PICKARD THE SAVE. REBOUND. GLORY. GLENDOME. LINDOL GETS IT BACK. NEVER GOT TO Pickard and it’s backhanded ahead and out. Still 10 seconds left on the power play. Asim enters. Asim up top. Glind Holm holds. Shoots. Picker the save. Middlest dad steers it to the blue paint. And now Bousard’s out of the box. Andrew Peak scrambled back just in case. Pretty good push by the power play to answer that short-handed goal by McDavid. All kinds of opportunities. Nice seam pass. One-time forehand. Picker with a good read. Able to take it out away from Lai. Shot with a purpose by Lynholm. Rebound opportunities in and around the net. That Bruins just couldn’t find a loose puck clean enough to throw one up top. Back home chased by Posak who lost an edge. Now Hyman trying to plead his case to Peter McDougall. Boston number six to me cross >> and now the Bruins going short down twoers changing as the Bruins come across geeky Zorov little just out of his reach SET ACROSS ZENOROV FIRES PICKER THE SAVE THERE’S A REBOUND AVAILABLE AND PICKARD COVERS IT up well this is what Bruins need puck possession, offensive opportunities, and their top guys got to lead the way. Zidorov ends up with a one-timer. This pass here just doesn’t complete, but the Bruins get it right back. Good play by Lynholm. That’s a close-range one-time for Zidorov with a little bit of traffic in and around the net. Able to sort it out and not allow the Bruins a second chance. Sedor up one goal this season. He had four last year. He’s had double digits before. He speeds the other way to NURSE TO THE SLOT. HEYMAN BACKHAND SWING TO THE STOP. REBOUND. Nurse jammed it to the corner. Nan Hopkins lost it. HERE’S HUSTAD. HE’LL BARREL IN FAR CIRCLE. SHOOTS. PICKARD made that stop. Cherry picking the other way is Hyman. BACK HAND denies him. Pick got it with the left shoulder. Laurai had it and lost it. CENTERED SWIM STOP. REBOUND OFF THE POST AND THIS TRICKLES OUT. I THINK THAT might have hit the elbow. There’s Lauri at the red line. No icing. Well, as the Bruins press here in the final eight minutes, we’re down to 6:15 now, they’re going to give up some opportunities in the other direction because they’re challenging. They’re getting in deep in the offensive zone. Here’s the drive to catch it to the post and then uh comes back in the back legs of Swayman. Good effort to get that left skate extended. Nurse able to find Heyman again. He tries to go backand uh forehand backhand right pad save. And the Oilers are going to take the first installment >> as the Bruins fired all the way down. This Edmonson team has started to pick it up of late to be their seventh win in their last 11 outings and they’re going to improve to 17 12 and six. Well, you think about this game in its entirety and uh you you had to appreciate the way the Bruins played defensively for the most part. They were pretty good in the neutral zone, pretty good in their own end. Special teams went in favor of Edmonton because of the short-handed goal. That was the backb breaker, but it didn’t feel like a back breaker at the time. And Jud, you use the phrase almost. There were a lot of almost tonight. I thought there were plays to be completed that Boston just didn’t complete. Off by a little bit in a number of different times and opportunities where the result could have been different. And a tremendous job done by Calvin Pickard who had had to come on in relief after Tristan Jarry left the game we believe due to injury in the second period. So your final tonight, Boiler Street and the Bruins

Highlights from the Boston Bruins game against the Edmonton Oilers on December 18, 2025.