Bruins come up just short vs. Red Wings
RECAP: Fresh off a heated battle in Boston last weekend, the Bruins and Red Wings wrapped up a home-and-home in Detroit.
Dec 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the first period against the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Bruins did not have their A or B game Tuesday night in Detroit. And it was arguable as to whether or not they had their C game, for that matter.
Those issues went beyond just the 18 skaters deployed by Marco Sturm in this contest, too, as Jeremy Swayman put forth his worst performance in over a month on the way to a 5-4 loss to the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
The Bruins even gave Swayman (five goals on 23 shots faced) an early hook for the first time this season, with Joonas Korpisalo summoned into action in relief of Swayman with 16:05 remaining in the third period.
In an 0-3 hole by the 1:35 mark of the second period, the Bruins began to push back with two goals in a 4:29 span in the middle frame, beginning with Jonathan Aspirot's first NHL goal/point and then a strike from Alex Steeves.
But the Bruins' momentum went out the window with one poor backcheck from Morgan Geekie and a bad goal allowed by Swayman, as Ben Chiarot pushed the Detroit lead back to two before the end of the second period.
And by the time Raymond pushed the lead back out to three in the third period, the damage was already done against the Bruins.
Still, the Bruins continued to battle, and had third-period strikes from Marat Khusnutdinov and then a 6-on-5 goal from Steeves before time ran out.
The loss was Boston's eighth in 14 road games this season.
Already battered by injuries, the Bruins suffered another loss on the health front in this one, too, with defenseman Michael Callahan lost to a lower-body injury. The Bruins traveled to Detroit with just six defensemen on the active roster, meaning they will need to call someone up from Providence if Callahan's absence extends beyond just Tuesday's contest.
If the Bruins do need to reach into the AHL ranks for more help, Frederic Brunet and Victor Soderstrom are the likely 'next D-men up' in line for a recall. Brunet made his NHL debut for the Bruins a year ago, while Soderstrom made 53 NHL appearances for the Coyotes from 2021 to 2024.
The Bruins did get a body back for this game, though, with winger Viktor Arvidsson activated and thrown back into the Boston lineup for his first appearance since Nov. 15 in Montreal. Arvidsson, who returned to his normal spot to the right of Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha on Boston's second line, finished with three shots in 15:20 of time on ice.
The Bruins will return home for a Thursday night home game against the St. Louis Blues. This will be the Black and Gold's first time going against former Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery since Montgomery joined the Blues following his dismissal from the Bruins in Nov. 2024.
