Bruins head coach Marco Sturm began his day with a different vision for Boston’s lineup than what took the ice Thursday night at TD Garden.

But after a pregame nap, Sturm saw things different, particularly in regards to his second line. And it was that post-nap clarity that ultimately powered the Bruins to their ninth straight victory on Garden ice, this time with a 6-3 final over Philadelphia.

Beginning his day with visions of Pavel Zacha centering Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson (Boston’s most common and consistent line this season), the game lineup saw a slight tweak. Instead of Zacha down the middle, Sturm decided to go with Fraser Minten in the middle of that line and in Zacha’s spot, while Zacha moved up a line.

The end result? A combined seven points for Arvidsson, Minten, and Mittelstadt — led by three-point nights for both Minten and Mittelstadt — in a game that ultimately chased the Flyers’ Sammy Ersson after 40.

With the win, the Bruins finished the pre-Olympic schedule with a 21-8-1 record at home. That’s good for a .717 point percentage, which is second to only Colorado’s .846 (20-2-4 at home). 

Here’s a look at the 985TheSportsHub.com 3 Stars of the game…

3rd Star: Jonathan Aspirot

Jan 29, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (45) reacts after a goal against the Flyers at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Most nights, the Bruins would prefer it if you didn’t notice Jonathan Aspirot. That’s not a knock on Aspirot in the slightest, it’s just that he’s a player whose game is best described by being steady and rather quiet.

But Thursday felt like one of Aspirot’s more ‘active’ games of the season, with the first-year NHLer doing it at both ends of the rink. Aspirot’s night began with a penalty drawn on the Flyers’ Denver Barkey, and then Aspirot had the secondary helper on Zacha’s goal at the midway point of the frame. And in a period that saw the Bruins take a 2-0 lead over Philly through 20 minutes, Aspirot also had a pair of defensive shutdowns.

Finishing with 17:26 of time on ice and a plus-1 rating by the night’s end, Aspirot ended his night with an assist on Marat Khusnutdinov’s empty-net goal, which gave him the first multi-point game of his NHL career.

2nd Star: Casey Mittelstadt

Oct 30, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins center Casey Mittelstadt (11) skates with the puck during the first period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

When this whole thing began, it was worth wondering if Casey Mittelstadt was going to find a home in Sturm’s system.

Mittelstadt was mentioned in trade rumors throughout the summer, and even found himself scratched early in the season. But all of that feels like ancient history now, really, as Mittelstadt has certainly find a home as a scoring wing on the Black and Gold’s second line.

Deployed for 14:54 of action in this one, Mittelstadt finished with a goal and three points in the win, which was his best game since joining the Bruins at the 2025 trade deadline. The run continues what’s been a strong January for Mittelstadt, with two goals and 11 points through 14 games this month. And if you’re looking for a weirder stat to like, the Bruins are now 8-3-0 this season when Mittelstadt scores a goal.

1st Star: Fraser Minten

Jan 29, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Bruins center Fraser Minten (93) controls the puck from Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale (9) at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Bruins center Fraser Minten doesn’t know what his career ceiling is, and frankly he doesn’t really care so long as it’s in the NHL.

But with the way he’s playing right now, and with a three-point outing on Thursday, the excitement for Minten and his game is only growing.

“The things you can’t teach, he has [them],” said Sturm.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Mittelstadt said of Minten. “I think it’s very impressive for such a young kid to play like that. He fit right in.”

Minten alone has made last year’s Brandon Carlo trade an early win for the Bruins, and it’s only going to get better for the Bruins, too, as they’re still owed a first-round pick from Toronto as part of that trade.