NHL analyst Craig Button delivers brutally honest review of Boston Bruins struggling season so far

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button gave a straightforward review of the Boston Bruins' struggles on Jan. 9, 2025. The Bruins’ struggles show in their 20-18-5 record. They are No. 3 in the Atlantic Division standings behind Toronto (27-13-2) and Florida (25-15-2). This is far from their strong form in past seasons.

Button pointed out that the team’s lack of offensive firepower is a big issue.

"The lack of skill that the Boston Bruins have up front, they just don't have a lot of firepower," Button said. [1:29] "They just do not have enough ability to dictate the game offensively."

Button further pointed out that the Bruins are relying heavily on defensive play, which has been inconsistent this season.

"So they're hanging on the threads of defensive play, which hasn't been great. And I would suggest this - after the Bruins were booed off the ice," Button added.

Scoring is a big issue for the Bruins, with the team averaging only 2.58 goals per game, ranking No. 29 in the NHL. Button’s comments about their offensive problems are evident in their weak power play, which is at 12.4%, the second-worst in the league.

Defensively, the Bruins have struggled to make up for their offensive problems. They allow 3.14 goals per game, ranking them No. 20. On the penalty kill, they have a 75.9% success rate.

Despite the struggles, David Pastrnak has been a standout. He leads the team with 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points. However, consistent contributions from other players have been missing. Goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo have shown mixed performances. They have not provided the stability needed to turn the season around.

The Bruins' decline is clear when compared to their 109-point season in 2023-24 and their record-breaking 135-point season in 2022-23.

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Boston Bruins lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the home arena

The Boston Bruins lost 4-0 to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday at TD Garden. Bruins coach Joe Sacco said:

“They were certainly playing at a higher level than we were, right from the drop of the puck... So, we pretty much got what we deserved here tonight.”

Adam Henrique scored the first goal for Edmonton at 6:33 of the first period with a wrist shot. Stuart Skinner, Edmonton’s goalie, left briefly after a collision but returned for the second period.

Connor McDavid made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 11:11 of the second period. Henrique added his second goal at 16:35.

Viktor Arvidsson secured the win with an empty-net goal. Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves for the Boston Bruins, which has lost five straight games.