As the calendar shifts from August to September (seriously, what happened to July, man?), there’s no denying that winter is indeed and inevitably coming. And at a pace that’ll stun you right out of your shorts and sunglasses.
For a Bruins team that’s certainly going through their own set of changes following the retirements of both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, and with their cap situation a complete mess for 2023-24 after a failed ‘all in’ year, that means a slow-and-steady reporting back to Boston ahead of training camp.
And things got real on Wednesday with the release of the national TV schedule, which will feature the Bruins a staggering 13 times in 2023-24 (that number excludes the streaming exclusive games). That’s the second-most in the NHL, trailing only the Colorado Avalanche, who have 15 national TV games on deck for 2023-24.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 14: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins tends net against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at TD Garden on January 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The first time change of note will come with Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs’ first visit to TD Garden on Nov. 2. That Tuesday night showdown between the Atlantic Division rivals will move from its original 7 p.m. time to 7:30 p.m., as the game will be aired on ESPN+ and Hulu.
That game will be the first of four meetings between the Bruins and Leafs in 2023-24. Boston took last year’s season series with Toronto three games to one, and outscored Toronto 12-8 over that stretch. The Leafs’ big addition this offseason coincided with the B’s biggest loss, as Toronto added 2023 trade deadline addition Tyler Bertuzzi to the fold on a one-year deal.
Jan 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux (48) and Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) fight in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)
Moving to the second half of the 2023-24 slate, the Bruins have moved their Feb. 17 head-to-head with the Los Angeles Kings from 5:30 p.m. down to 12:30 p.m. at TD Garden.
The Saturday matinee will be a rough one for Kings fans out in California, as it’ll come with a 9:30 a.m. start for those out on the West Coast (revenge for those 10:30 p.m. starts?), but will give the B’s their second 12:30 p.m. puck drop of the season, with the other one coming on Jan. 27 in Philadelphia.
The B’s split last year’s season series with the Kings, with the road team winning each game.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 18: Jake DeBrusk #74 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring a goal against the New York Islanders during the first period at TD Garden on February 18, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Those of you commuting to Long Island for a road trip to catch the Bruins and Islanders just had your afternoon open up, as the Bruins and Islanders have moved their Mar. 2 showdown from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
And despite the 7:30 p.m. start, this change has nothing to do with the game being picked up on national TV or anything of the sort, as it will remain on NESN.
The Bruins won all three of their 2022-23 meetings with the Islanders, and hammered New York goaltender for a staggering 14 goals over that three-game series.
Mar 9, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates with defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Another national TV-related change on the B’s slate will come on Mar. 5 when the Oilers come to town.
Originally slated for a 7 p.m. start time, the NHL has moved the Bruins-Oilers showdown at TD Garden to 7:30 p.m., as the game has been picked up by ESPN+ and Hulu. While I’ll always hate the idea of putting marquee matchups behind paywalls and subscription services, it’s no secret as to why ESPN+ wants this one once again, as it’ll feature Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak going head-to-head.
