The Boston Bruins find themselves in a tightly contested Atlantic Division battle under first-year head coach Marco Sturm. Here is the breakdown of their week ahead and the major storylines surrounding the team for Dec. 21-28.
The Morgan Geekie Breakout
Perhaps the most surprising storyline of 2025 is the offensive explosion of Morgan Geekie. Reports indicate he has been the NHL’s leading goal scorer for the calendar year of 2025 (dating back to Jan 1, 2025). This season, he has emerged as a premier scoring threat alongside David Pastrnak, validating the front office’s decision to sign him to a long-term extension. Watching if he can maintain this pace is the top narrative for fans.
The Tight Atlantic Division Race
The Atlantic Division is currently a logjam. As of this weekend, the Bruins sit in fourth place with 41 points, just behind the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning, but barely ahead of the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.
The division is “mired in mediocrity” with no single team dominating, meaning every point against divisional rivals like Ottawa (Dec. 21), Montreal (Dec. 23), and Buffalo (Dec. 27) is massive for playoff positioning.
Stabilizing Under Marco Sturm
The Bruins are in their first season under Sturm, who was hired in June 2025. While the team has shown flashes of dominance (strong defensive structure and a dangerous power play), they have struggled with consistency.
The Bruins are looking to bounce back from a tough 5-4 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (Dec. 20) and a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers prior to that. They need to correct their recent slide to stay in the top half of the bracket.
Interest in Maccelli
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Bruins are interested in adding a scoring winger before the trade deadline. One name they are rumored to be looking at is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Matias Maccelli. Maccelli has been a healthy scratch for the Maple Leafs for the last eight games, and they may be looking to move him.
Bruins Schedule Dec 21 – 28
The NHL observes a league-wide holiday break this week, meaning the schedule is lighter than usual. The Bruins play three divisional games: two at home before the break and one on the road immediately after.
Note: No games are scheduled from Dec 23–26 for the holiday break.
DateOpponentTime (ET)LocationNotesSun, Dec. 21Ottawa Senators7:00 PMTD GardenA critical divisional matchup.Tue, Dec. 23Montreal Canadiens7:00 PMTD GardenAnother critical divisional matchup before the holiday break.Sat, Dec. 27@ Buffalo Sabres7:00 PMKeyBank CenterThe team travels to Buffalo to resume play.
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