BOSTON – The Boston Bruins (20-16-1) will host the Montreal Canadiens (19-12-5) to wrap up their five-game homestand, and for the final home game of 2025. The Bruins have 12 home wins on the season, but are in the middle of a three-game losing streak. On the other end of the ice, the Canadiens are 9-3-4 on the road. They just split a weekend series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After tonight, the next time the Bruins play at the TD Garden will be on January 8, 2026. The team will hit the road for a five-game road trip after the holiday break. It will start with a stop in Buffalo before heading to Western Canada for three.

In today’s Daily Bean, catch up on the Bruins’ mentality going into tonight’s game against Montreal, as well as some news around the hockey world. Within the division, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to savor their season, and the Detroit Red Wings have a two-headed monster in the goalie crease. Also, ECHL players will go on strike at the end of the week if they cannot reach a CBA deal. 

Boston Bruins

The Bruins fell to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night, 6-2. The Bruins bumped into some of the same problems, while the Senators exploded out of the gate. It was 3-1 after the first period, and 6-2 after the second. The third period featured 74 penalty minutes as frustration – and pride – settled in for the black and gold.

After Monday’s practice, Marco Sturm said that “there’s a small, little chance” that Viktor Arvidsson is available for tonight’s contest against Montreal. Sturm added that Arvidsson returned too early from his previous injury and said the team is making sure it does the right thing.

David Pastrnak called tonight’s game “the most important game so far” this year, and even called it a “must-win.” Bouncing back from the last couple of games is essential for the Bruins, and doing so against their longtime rival makes it even more critical. The rivalry game only adds to the intensity, David Pastrnak said: “It’s [the] Montreal Canadiens. It’s very, very easy to get motivated.”

In other Bruins news: James Hagens announced on his Instagram that he is launching “Hagens’ Helpers.” After every Team USA World Juniors win, Hagens will be donating money. His goal is to help people across the country access the food they need.

Also, happy 46th anniversary to the Shoe Brawl at Madison Square Garden.

Hockey News & National Hockey Now

Toronto Hockey Now: The first domino has fallen in Toronto, and it’s a name Bruins fans know pretty well. The Maple Leafs fired assistant coach Marc Savard. There have been many questions about how to fix the Maple Leafs. The first change is the man who had been running the league’s worst power play (13.3%).

Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings have a strong goalie tandem, but both goalies have had their struggles throughout the season. Cam Talbot just snapped out of a seven-game losing streak, but head coach Todd McLellan never lost an ounce of faith in his goalie. John Gibson has found his game, as well. The Red Wings are currently on top of the Atlantic Division.

New Jersey Hockey Now: James Nichols dives into whether or not the dream of getting Quinn Hughes to New Jersey is still possible. Hughes just landed in Minnesota last week and, upon arrival, praised Bill Guerin for “sacking up” and getting the deal done. However, Hughes will hit free agency in the summer of 2027, and his brothers are both signed long-term in Newark. 

TSN: A name who has been in trade talks over the last couple of seasons, Rasmus Andersson, is arguably the most intriguing name on the market. Andersson is making $4.5M on a contract that expires at the end of the season. He has been playing great (and a lot of) hockey. Andersson has 25 points in 36 games and is averaging a career-high 24:09 time on ice.

Sportsnet: There is unfortunate news out of the ECHL. The league and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) have been unable to reach a deal. This led the players to vote to call a strike. CBA talks have been ongoing since January. The PHPA released an open letter on Monday. The players are asking for higher-quality equipment and a “day off” that is not a nine-hour bus trip. The strike is scheduled to start on Friday.