Photo: David Le/Boston Bruins
Monday’s season opening press conference with Boston Bruins management went about as expected. Team Owner Charlie Jacobs, Team President Cam Neely, and General Manager Don Sweeney fielded questions from the media two days before the regular season begins at Washington on Wednesday night. The team is coming off their first non-playoff season since 2016 and in what seems to be a full rebuild. However, management seems to believe that the 2025-26 version of the Boston Bruins will compete every night…and you will be there to witness it.
The Bruins will struggle to score this season beyond their first line, which Neely admitted on Monday. However, there is a recipe for success for Boston. “We’re gonna have to play tight defense if we’re gonna be one of the eight [in the playoffs]…We tried to bolster our offense in the offseason, and it didn’t come to fruition”, said Neely. Bolster the offense? With veteran Viktor Arvidsson and an AHL goal scorer in Matej Blumel? And the decision that it didn’t work was made after six preseason games?
Instead, Neely said that the team added “piss and vinegar” to the lineup. Instead of outscoring opponents, the Bruins might end up being the most penalized team in the league. But this is what Neely wants. He was a physical player, which shortened his Hall of Fame career. Neely and Sweeney have had slight philosophical differences when it comes to roster building. Sweeney wants a fast pace, Neely wants players who put opponents through the boards.
It has been established that the Bruins will rely on defense and an improved Jeremy Swayman in net to win. It might not be the most entertaining style, and probably won’t lead to a playoff spot. But in the end, the tickets are sold, and Bruins fans will continue to show up at TD Garden regardless. Jacobs confirmed this fact at the new conference by saying, “We have a 12,000-person season ticket waiting list that people pay to be on and a 95 percent renewal rate”.
So, in that case, what does it all matter?
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