Bruins not using schedule as an excuse for streaky season

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Bruins not using schedule as an excuse for streaky season

Lauren Campbell · MassLive

Mon, Dec 22, 2025 ·

2 min read

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BOSTON — The Bruins knew going into the 2025-26 season the schedule would be more condensed than usual due to the Winter Olympics taking place in February.

But Boston isn’t using that as an excuse for its streaky season that has included four-game win streaks and a six-game losing streak.

“Everybody’s doing it, so I’m not gonna say anything on that,” Charlie McAvoy said after Sunday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators . “These guys are on a back-to-back too and they came in and just played better than us. Everybody’s going through it. It’s a compact schedule. It’s not easy, but it’s the draw that everybody has.”

The latest losing streak reached three after Sunday’s loss . It marked the first time Boston lost three straight games at home this season.

“It’s a momentum league,” Nikita Zadorov said. “Sometimes you’re riding high, your confidence is high, you’re getting bounces, it goes in, sometimes it’s not. So that’s where you have to dig in a little bit more and get a little bit dirty in those areas and hopefully it’s going to go your way. ... So when it doesn’t go your way, sometimes you got to dig deeper.”

Boston’s struggles were on full display Sunday between defensive breakdowns, net-front presence and Joonas Korpisalo getting pulled in the second period.

“I think we’ve had more breakdowns than normal. I think the things that allow us to have success, we’re not doing enough of right now,” McAvoy said. “I don’t think you can ever question the group’s competitiveness and want to for each other. Guys care in here, and that’s why this stretch, this hurts. It’s not fun to come into the locker room after a game like that.”

Coach Marco Sturm stressed the importance of getting out of the losing streak sooner rather than later.

“You’ve got to find a way to get out of it right away and be more consistent,” he said. “You want to be consistent with that kind of schedule and traveling, all that kind of stuff. So you will make some mental mistakes. I know that. ... But I’ve seen it around the league, so that’s just not us.”

The Bruins now prepare for for the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night where they look to end their losing streak and get back in the win column before the NHL’s holiday break.

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