As July comes to a close, we currently sit just over two months away from the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. Right now is closer in time to the Bruins’ season opener against the Florida Panthers than it is to their season-ending Game 6 loss to that familiar foe. There are still some loose ends to be tied up roster-wise before the end of the offseason, namely the signing of restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman, however, it does not seem too early to begin looking at some key early season matchups. With that in mind, here are three games to be excited about in October and November.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Bruins at Florida Panthers
The NHL knocked it out of the park with this season opener. The Bruins will head down to Sunrise, Florida to kick off their season against the Stanley Cup champions and the team that eliminated them from the playoffs the last two years.
There is no love lost between these two teams. They have been two of the favorites in the Eastern Conference over the past two years, and neither has shown any signs of slowing down. Despite several departures in free agency, the Panthers appear poised to mount a campaign to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, and the Bruins got stronger and tougher in free agency. This matchup is a rivalry in the making: expect this game to be physical and the atmosphere to be playoff-like. The outcome of this game could set the tone for the pivotal regular season series between these two teams.
Saturday, Oct. 26: Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Moving on from a team that has gotten the best of the Bruins as of late to a team that they have called little brother over the years. The Maple Leafs finished third in the Atlantic Division last season (behind the Bruins and Panthers), and they are poised to make a run at a playoff spot again in 2024-25. On top of being one of the Bruins’ biggest rivals, the team from Toronto poses a legitimate threat to the black and gold within their division, and they became tougher this offseason with the addition of defenseman Chris Tanev. We should expect that the Maple Leafs will be out for blood after yet another embarrassing Game 7 collapse at TD Garden ended their season this past spring. It is must-watch television every time the Bruins play the Maple Leafs regardless of where they are in the standings; when there are playoff implications on the line it just makes the rivalry that much juicier.
Tuesday, Nov. 26: Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks
This game rounds out our three most exciting early-season matchups. The Canucks and Bruins have history: the two met in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final which the Bruins won, and Vancouver’s fans have not been fond of the black and gold ever since. These teams also both project to be Stanley Cup contenders in 2024-25, and this matchup is one of just two between them all season.
What makes this game so enticing, however, is what transpired in free agency this summer. Former Bruins Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Derek Forbort all signed in Vancouver, and former Canucks Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov signed in Boston. This will make for an interesting matchup with some familiar faces. The contest will also feature two of the game’s premier defensemen in Charlie McAvoy and Quinn Hughes; taking place on the Tuesday before American Thanksgiving, TD Garden should be as loud as ever for this one.
Intriguing Start
The Bruins have several must-watch games to start the 2024-25 season. Their season opener is one of two matchups with the Panthers in October. They’ll get two licks at the Maple Leafs in October and November, along with DeBrusk, Heinen, and Forbort’s return to TD Garden. Some other interesting matchups include Linus Ullmark’s homecoming, as the Ottawa Senators come to town on Nov. 9, and the Bruins’ first game against the brand new Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 19.
