Honestly, walking into TD Garden on Thursday night, you could feel the electricity. It wasn’t just about a mid-season matchup against the Kraken; it was about legacy. Before the puck even hit the ice, the rafters grew a little heavier.
Zdeno Chara’s legendary No. 33 was finally raised to its permanent home.
If you’re just looking for the quick answer, here it is: the score of the boston bruins hockey game was a solid 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. But if you just check the box score, you’re missing the actual story of how this game unfolded. This wasn't just a win. It was the exclamation point on a perfect five-game homestand.
The Chara Effect and a Lightning-Fast Start
Sometimes, jersey retirement ceremonies can be a bit of a buzzkill for the home team. You spend 45 minutes standing on the ice in your warmups, listening to speeches, and watching highlights while your legs get stiff. Then the game starts, and the visiting team—who spent that time in a warm locker room—jumps all over you.
Not tonight.
The Bruins came out like they were shot from a cannon. Maybe it was seeing Big Zee’s kids pull that lever to hoist the banner. Maybe it was having Bobby Orr and Cam Neely in the building. Whatever it was, the Kraken didn't know what hit them.
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- 54 seconds in: Marat Khusnutdinov took a beautiful long stretch pass from Charlie McAvoy and tucked a backhand past Joey Daccord. 1-0.
- 3:45 mark: Viktor Arvidsson let a shot rip that deflected off Casey Mittelstadt’s skate and into the net. 2-0.
Two goals on two shots.
Seattle had to call a timeout basically before the sweat had dried on their jerseys. It’s the kind of start that makes a coach want to break a clipboard, and for the Kraken, it set a mountain they just couldn't quite climb.
Why the Score of the Boston Bruins Hockey Game Stayed in Their Favor
The Kraken aren't exactly a team that rolls over. They’ve had a rough stretch lately, losing four of their last five, but they fight. Chandler Stephenson managed to claw one back just five seconds into a Seattle power play.
Suddenly, it’s 2-1 and the Garden gets a little nervous.
This is where Mark Kastelic became the unsung hero of the night. In the second period, while the Bruins were actually down a man on the penalty kill, Kastelic decided he’d had enough of the Kraken’s comeback attempt. He pick-pocketed Matty Beniers in the Seattle zone and buried a shorthanded goal.
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It was the first "shorty" of his career and his eighth goal of the season, which is a new career high for him.
Swayman Slamming the Door
While the offense was clicking, Jeremy Swayman was doing Swayman things. He stopped 26 of 28 shots, including a perfect 18-for-18 at even strength. Seattle found both of their goals on the power play (Eeli Tolvanen got the second one), but when the teams were five-on-five, they couldn't buy a goal.
Swayman has been on an absolute tear since Christmas. He’s looking like the Vezina-caliber goalie the Bruins paid for, and it’s a big reason why this winning streak has hit five games.
A Perfect Homestand and the Road Ahead
This 4-2 win wasn't just another notch in the win column. It marked the first time since 2019 that the Bruins swept a homestand of at least five games. They are 7-1 in their last eight games.
That’s a huge turnaround from where they were at the beginning of the month.
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There is one dark cloud, though. Andrew Peeke left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. He didn't come back. For a defensive unit that's finally finding its rhythm, losing a gritty guy like Peeke is a blow. We'll likely see Vladislav Kolyachonok step in when the team hits the road.
Next Steps for the B's
The "score of the boston bruins hockey game" is going to be a popular search query over the next week because the schedule gets tough.
If you're following the team, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- The Road Trip: The Bruins leave the friendly confines of TD Garden to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, January 17th.
- Trade Deadline Rumors: We’re less than two months away from the March 6 deadline. While the Bruins are winning, the Peeke injury might force Don Sweeney to look at the market for defensive depth sooner than he planned.
- The Atlantic Race: This win keeps the Bruins right in the thick of things. They are currently neck-and-neck with the Sabres and chasing the Red Wings and Canadiens.
The Bruins are finally playing to their identity—tough, defensive-minded, and capitalizing on mistakes. As long as Swayman stays this locked in, that banner won't be the only thing rising in Boston this season.
To stay updated, make sure you're tracking the injury report for Andrew Peeke before the Saturday puck drop in Chicago. If he's out long-term, the defensive pairings are going to look very different by the time they hit Dallas next Tuesday.