The Bruins, when on their game, are a good team.
The Jets, when on their game, are a great team.
And on Tuesday night, with the Bruins not on their game and the Jets on theirs, things got ugly and in a hurry for the Bruins to the tune of an 8-1 blowout loss. For the Bruins, it was their worst loss of the season, ‘beating’ an 8-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Halloween, and for Jeremy Swayman it was the worst night of his career, with a career-worst eight goals allowed.
In goal for all eight goals, Swayman became just the first Bruins goalie to surrender eight goals in a single game since Daniel Vladar ‘accomplished’ that in a beatdown at the hands of the Capitals in Apr. 2021. Overall, it was just the fifth time since 2003 that a Bruins netminder had surrendered eight goals in an outing, and just the third time it’s happened to the Black and Gold in the post-lockout NHL.
Third Star: David Pastrnak
Dec 10, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak (88) is congratulated by his team mates on his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period at Canada Life Centre. (Terrence Lee/Imagn Images)
I’m gonna be honest, this was absolutely one of those games where you don’t really want to highlight a performance from any Bruins player. But this is 98.5 The Sports Hub, and we’re based in Boston, not Winnipeg, so I will always feel like a scam artist if I don’t give you something Bruins-centric to sink your teeth into in some fashion. There will be obvious exceptions over the course of an 82-game season, but if there’s a single positive you can pull from this game, it’s that David Pastrnak got back on the board with a power-play goal.
For Pastrnak, it was just his fourth power-play goal of the season, and his first since Oct. 26. To say he was due would be putting it lightly. And for Pastrnak, the positive comes with the fact that this goal is right in his wheelhouse. That one-time bomb has to be a go-to for him and the Boston power play (it’s their best weapon on the man advantage, especially with the bumper seemingly used less than it was a year ago), and Pastrnak needs to have the confidence to get that shot off. That has not been the case in 2024-25.
Second Star: Kyle Connor
Dec 8, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) celebrates his second period goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder/Imagn Images
A member of the Coulda Had Him In ’15 draft class, Jets winger Kyle Connor took it to the Bruins on Tuesday night, with a goal and two helpers in 20:52 of time on ice in the win.
Connor, who will represent his country as a member of Team USA in the 4 Nations Face Off in February, is up to four goals and eight points in 13 career games against the Bruins.
First Star: Mark Scheifele
Dec 10, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (55) is congratulated by his team mates on his goal against the Boston Bruins during the second period at Canada Life Centre. (Terrence Lee-Imagn Images)
In a bit of a surprising move, Jets center Mark Scheifele was left off Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face Off.
And unfortunately for the Bruins, the 31-year-old Scheifele appeared to take out the frustrations of that snub on Team Canada general manager Don Sweeney’s Boston Bruins, with an absolutely ridiculous performance against Boston headlined by two goals and an assist in Winnipeg’s victory.
This really was a masterclass performance from Scheifele and his linemates, too, as they made the Bruins look downright foolish with their poise and patience in the attacking zone.
