So, you’re looking for the score of Bruins game last night. Let’s get the numbers out of the way first because that’s why you’re here. On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Boston Bruins took on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. It wasn't exactly the defensive masterclass fans have come to expect from a Jim Montgomery-led squad.
Final score: Flyers 4, Bruins 2.
It felt weird. For a team that has spent the last few seasons hovering near the top of the Atlantic Division, losing to a rebuilding Philly team hurts. It wasn’t just the loss; it was the way it happened. You’ve probably noticed the Bruins have been playing a bit of a "bend but don't break" style lately, but last night, they straight-up snapped in the second period.
Breaking Down the Score of Bruins Game Last Night
The game started off with a bit of hope. David Pastrnak—who else?—opened the scoring early in the first. It was one of those classic "Pasta" goals where he finds a soft spot in the circle and just hammers a one-timer. For about fifteen minutes, it looked like the Bruins were going to steamroll them. But the Flyers under John Tortorella don't really quit. They're annoying to play against. They clog the neutral zone. They finish every check.
By the time the second period rolled around, the wheels started wobbling.
Philadelphia scored three unanswered goals in a span of about eight minutes. If you were watching the broadcast on NESN, you could practically hear the frustration in the booth. The Bruins' defensive rotations were slow. Jeremy Swayman, who is usually a human brick wall, looked a little human for once. He stopped 28 of 31 shots (the fourth goal was an empty-netter), but a couple of those rebounds were juicy.
Boston tried to claw back in the third. Charlie McAvoy pinched in and buried a rebound to make it 3-2. There was a frantic five-minute stretch where it felt like the equalizer was coming. Brad Marchand hit the post. Pavel Zacha missed an open net by an inch. Then, with the goalie pulled, Travis Konecny sealed it for Philly.
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Why the Defense is Struggling
Honestly, the score of Bruins game last night is a symptom of a larger issue. We need to talk about the blue line.
Since the 2025 offseason moves, the chemistry hasn't been quite right. H. Hampus Lindholm is still logging massive minutes, but the bottom-pair rotation is a revolving door of "let's see if this works." Last night, the turnovers in the defensive zone were brutal. You can't give a team like the Flyers transition opportunities and expect to win. They thrive on chaos.
- Turnovers: The Bruins gave the puck away 14 times.
- Faceoffs: Surprisingly, they won 58% of draws, but it didn't matter because they couldn't keep possession in the offensive zone.
- Special Teams: 0-for-3 on the power play. That's the killer.
When your power play is stagnant, you put way too much pressure on your 5-on-5 play. And right now, the 5-on-5 play is... okay. Just okay. In the NHL, "just okay" gets you a 4-2 loss in Philly on a Wednesday night.
The Swayman Factor and the Goalie Narrative
Everyone wants to blame the goalie. It’s the easiest thing to do in Boston.
But look at the high-danger chances. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers had 12 high-danger scoring chances compared to Boston’s 7. Swayman kept them in it. If he doesn't make those two sprawling saves in the first period, this game is a blowout by the intermission.
There's a lot of talk about workload. Swayman is the undisputed number one now, and the "goalie tandem" era feels like a distant memory. Is he tired? Maybe. It’s mid-January. The "dog days" of the NHL season are real. Players get leg-weary. Mental mistakes creep in. You saw it last night when a simple cross-ice pass got intercepted leading to the Flyers' second goal.
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What This Means for the Atlantic Division Standings
The Bruins aren't in danger of missing the playoffs—let’s not be dramatic—but the gap is closing. The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning aren't slowing down. Every time the Bruins drop a game like this, they lose a little bit of that "home ice advantage" cushion for April.
Last night’s result leaves Boston with a 24-14-5 record. It's good. It’s not "historically great" like two years ago. We’ve been spoiled.
If you’re a betting person, you’re probably looking at the upcoming schedule with a bit of anxiety. They head back to TD Garden for a home stand, which usually helps, but the energy in the building is going to be tense if they don't fix the power play issues immediately.
Key Takeaways from the Wells Fargo Center
It’s easy to get lost in the box score, but the eye test told a different story.
The Bruins looked slow. Not just "end of a road trip" slow, but "missing a step in transition" slow. The Flyers are a younger, faster team right now. They utilized their speed to stretch the Bruins' defense, forcing McAvoy and Carlo to play way more north-south than they like.
One bright spot? The fourth line actually looked decent. Mark Kastelic was banging bodies and creating some energy. But you don't win games in this league on fourth-line energy alone. You need your top six to produce, and outside of Pastrnak, the production was ghost-like last night.
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Actionable Steps for the Bruins (and Fans)
If you're tracking the score of Bruins game last night to see if it's time to panic, here is the reality.
Don't panic yet. Do start paying attention to the trade deadline rumors. Don Sweeney is likely looking for a veteran left-shot defenseman or a bottom-six winger with some snarl. This team needs a spark that isn't just "Pasta score goal."
What to watch for in the next game:
- The First Ten Minutes: If they come out flat again, there’s a deeper locker room issue or a fatigue problem that needs addressing.
- Power Play Structure: Watch if they move Pastrnak off the "Ovechkin spot." Teams have scouted that to death. They need a new look.
- Third Period Legs: Look at the skating late in the game. Are they chasing the puck or dictating play?
The Bruins play again on Saturday. It’s a matinee game. Usually, those are toss-ups, but for this squad, it’s a "must-show-up" game to prove that the loss in Philly was a fluke and not the start of a mid-winter slide.
Keep an eye on the injury report. There were some murmurs about Elias Lindholm taking a hard hit late in the third, though he finished the game. If he’s out, the center depth gets real thin, real fast.
Check the morning skate reports on Friday. That will tell you everything you need to know about how Montgomery felt about the effort. Usually, a "bag skate" follows a performance like last night. If the players are breathing hard during the post-practice interviews, you'll know the message was received.
Clean up the turnovers, fix the man-advantage, and the wins will return. Until then, the Atlantic Division race just got a whole lot more interesting.