Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

For the Boston Bruins to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026 after finishing with the NHL's fifth-worst record last season, they needed Jeremy Swayman to have a bounce-back campaign. And Swayman has actually played quite well through the first 37 games of the season. He has a 14-9-1 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA. Those stats don't jump off the page, but context is important:

The Bruins were feeling very good about themselves just a week and a half ago. Today, with the archrival Montreal Canadiens in town for the final game before the Christmas break, they are in soul-searching mode. Such is life in the standings tighter than skinny jeans Hoping to bank points on their five-game homestand, they are just 1-2-1, with three straight losses. And the last L left a mark.

The Elite Ice Hockey League, the top level of hockey in the U.K., doesn't get a lot of big names. NHLers who have washed out of North America tend to head to the Continent: Sweden, Finland, Russia et al., all offer more money, better facilities, and a bigger spotlight for a pro to, perhaps, play their way back to the NHL. So it's a rare day when an EIHL team signs a 17-year NHL veteran.

"I think the adversity helped us early on."

I didn't have any plans going back home over that summer but then as the season got closer, I played with that thought a little bit and just ended up signing there a week before the season started. It was good for me. I got back to my game a lot more to the way I want to play. Now afterwards, I don't regret anything. I think that was a good decision for me.

I've lost a lot of weight but I'm working my way back. Soups have been my go-to. A lot of ice cream. Milk shakes and ice cream. It's tough. I tried to give it a go, blending up solid food. It's not enjoyable. I tried chicken and vegetable and that was just a non-starter. It's terrible. Soups have really been my go-to and smoothies to try and get protein.

I don't think any time teams fail, it's just one person. It's impossible.

Artemi Panarin was locked in last night, opening the scoring only minutes in and adding three assists. Things have not always been smooth in the top six, but if they are finally turning a corner then it's the perfect time for the conglomerate of talent to finally click. It's been the missing link, as the bottom six has mainly been carrying the Rangers so far.