The Boston Bruins ended their road trip against the Utah Mammoth. After a strong 3-0 start, the Bruins have now lost four in a row. This 3-2 loss to the Mammoth was the final dagger in a sour road trip. As we dive into the takeaways, this game had a very similar recipe to the one we played the night before against the Colorado Avalanche.
David Pastrnak with a huge bounce
The Bruins’ offense against the Avalanche was dead weight. They couldn’t muster an attack and scoring goals was a problem. Even the Bruins’ top line struggled, as they finished with an expected goals percentage (xGF%) of 7.24. Head coach Marco Sturm went into the lineup blender and shuffled the deck. However, when the top line of Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak was brought back together, the line was revived and Pastrnak was produced.
Pastrnak was key to scoring goals in this match as he had the team’s only two goals. His first goal came on a power play and not from his usual position in the left faceoff circle. He was parked in front of the net and hit home a puck that bounced right back to him. Plus, his next goal would go down in the Bruins’ history books.
After an odd rush with Marat Khusnutdinov, Pastrnak buried the pass for his second of the game. He has now scored 395 goals, which puts him tied for sixth on the all-time list with Bruins legend Ray Bourque.
Although Pastrnak made a difference on the scoresheet and took advantage of the opportunities he had, in terms of on-ice impacts he had the lowest xGF% (16.46) and the second highest expected goals against (1.11). From a defensive standpoint, the Bruins are outmatched by the opposition. Like Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo stood strong and kept the Bruins in this game.
Joonas Korpisalo did his part
It was not the strongest start to the season for Korpisalo. Entering this match, he had an .851 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.50 goals against average (GAA). Luckily, he was up against a Mammoth team that has struggled to score goals this season. as they rank 15th in terms of goals scored. Overall, the Mammoth are a much faster team and have a great mix of skills in their lineup.
Related: Three insights from the Bruins’ 4-1 loss to the Avalanche
The Bruins were outscored 47-38 in five-on-five play, and the Mammoth outscored them 20-14. When the second period arrived, things took a turn and Korpisalo had to stand on his head. The Mammoth had the expected goals share (2.71-1.01) at five-on-five, generating a total of 3.53. Just like the previous match, the goalkeeper kept this match closer than it should have been.
Korpisalo finished the match with 0.53 goals above expectations and a SV% of 0.885. The Bruins’ defense was under siege and the Mammoth controlled the high-risk areas of the ice. It’s a painful loss, but the silver lining is that you know your goalkeepers can keep you in the game and give you a fighting chance.
Regroup on Home Ice
This road trip ended on a sour note. The Bruins have now lost four games in a row and are looking for answers. It is still very early in the 2025-2026 season, but there is room for improvement. A tough test awaits at home when the Florida Panthers roll into town on Tuesday night.
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