Honestly, if you took a nap during the second week of January 2026, you might have missed the most bizarre stretch of Bruins hockey in a generation. One night the team looks like a beer league squad struggling to find the net, and the next, they’re dropping 10 goals on the New York Rangers like it’s 1979 all over again.
That 10-2 blowout against the Rangers on January 10th was basically a fever dream. We’re talking about the first time the Bruins have hung a ten-spot since 1988. It wasn't just the score; it was the sheer absurdity of who was doing the scoring. Marat Khusnutdinov, a kid who had never even had a multi-point game in the NHL before that night, went out and buried four goals.
Four.
He almost matched his entire goal output from the previous season in sixty minutes.
The Night the Record Books Broke
When you look for boston bruins hockey highlights from this season, that Rangers game is the undisputed king. It featured a statistical anomaly that hasn't happened in nearly six decades: two teammates recording hat tricks in the same game. Pavel Zacha netted three, and Khusnutdinov got his four.
David Pastrnak didn't even score a goal in that game, yet he was arguably the most dominant player on the ice. Pasta finished with six assists. Let that sink in. He’s the first Bruin to hit six points in a single night since Ray Bourque did it 36 years ago. It’s that weird blend of veteran brilliance and "where did this guy come from?" production that has defined the 2025-26 campaign.
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But hockey is a cruel sport.
Less than 24 hours after scoring 10 goals, the Bruins showed up against the Pittsburgh Penguins and could only muster one. Just one.
Viktor Arvidsson played the hero in that 1-0 grind-fest on January 11th, outworking Erik Karlsson in front of the crease to lift a backhander past Stuart Skinner. It was ugly, gritty, and exactly the kind of game that drives fans crazy after watching a 10-goal explosion the day before.
Why the Goalie Hug is Still the Best Vibe in Sports
There was a lot of talk in the offseason about whether the Bruins could maintain their elite goaltending after the era of the Swayman-Ullmark "one-two punch" evolved. If the last few weeks are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo have been trading shutouts like they’re Pokémon cards.
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- January 11: Korpisalo shuts out the Penguins with 27 saves.
- January 13: Swayman shuts out the Red Wings with 24 saves.
Swayman’s performance against Detroit was particularly telling. He wasn’t peppered with 50 shots, but he made the "ten-bell" saves when it mattered. There was a point-blank stop on Alex DeBrincat during a third-period penalty kill that basically sucked the soul out of the Wings’ bench. After the whistle, Nikita Zadorov gave Swayman a hug that probably would have cracked a lesser man's ribs.
The "Sway-Korp" tandem has allowed only three goals over a recent four-game homestand. That's the backbone of this team. While the offense is busy being wildly inconsistent, the guys in the crease are keeping the ship upright.
The Hometown Hero: Fraser Minten’s Moment
If you’re looking for the feel-good story in the recent boston bruins hockey highlights, look at the January 3rd game against Vancouver. Fraser Minten, playing in his hometown for the first time as a pro, turned the Rogers Arena into his personal playground.
He opened the scoring on a power play and then, with 19 seconds left in overtime, he dug a puck out of a battle on the sideboards, funneled it to Pastrnak, and followed the play to the blue paint. When the rebound squirted loose, Minten was there to bury the winner.
It was a "Hollywood ending" for a kid who is quickly becoming a core piece of this roster’s middle six. He’s not just a filler player; he’s winning puck battles against veterans like Kiefer Sherwood and making smart plays in high-leverage minutes.
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What the Critics Are Missing
A lot of analysts look at the Bruins' shot totals—which are hovering around 27 per game (20th in the league)—and think they’re lucky. They see the 29.7 shots allowed per game and assume the defense is leaky.
But they aren’t looking at the shot quality.
Under the current system, the Bruins are leaning heavily on their power play, which is currently operating at a lethal 24.29%. They don't need 40 shots to beat you; they just need Pastrnak to find a lane or Morgan Geekie to park his 6'3" frame in front of the net. Geekie has been a quiet MVP candidate this year, already sitting on 25 goals.
Actionable Insights for the Second Half
As we move deeper into the 2026 season, keep an eye on these three specific factors that will determine if these highlights lead to a deep playoff run or an early exit:
- The Schedule Gauntlet: The Bruins are currently fighting for a top-three spot in a brutal Atlantic Division. Every "Atlantic" game is essentially a four-point swing right now.
- Khusnutdinov’s Sustainability: Was that four-goal game a fluke? We need to see if he can consistently provide secondary scoring, or if the burden falls back entirely on the Pastrnak-Zacha-Lindholm trio.
- The Workload Split: Don Sweeney and the coaching staff have to decide if they’re going to ride Swayman into the dirt or continue the 50/50 split with Korpisalo. History suggests the rotation keeps them fresh, but the temptation to play your $60-million man every night is real.
If you're heading to TD Garden soon, get there for warmups. The energy around this goalie tandem is infectious, and with the way Pastrnak is racking up assists, you're likely to see a piece of history whether it’s a 1-0 defensive masterclass or another double-digit blowout.